Resources
Domains of Well-Being
Well-being is a much larger idea than either quality of life or customer satisfaction. It is based on a holistic understanding of human needs and capacities. Well-being is elusive, highly subjective and the most valuable of all human possessions.” – Dr Bill Thomas, What Are Old People for?
Well-being is the path to a life worth living. It is the ultimate positive outcome of a human life. Through a grant-funded collaborative effort, in 2004 the Eden Alternative brought together a task force of culture-change experts who together identified seven primary Domains of Well-Being.
These seven Domains of Well-Being serve as a simple framework for asking thoughtful questions that help identify the unmet needs of those we care for:
- IDENTITY − being well-known; having personhood; individuality; having a history
- GROWTH − development; enrichment; expanding; evolving
- AUTONOMY − liberty; self-determination; choice; freedom
- SECURITY − freedom from doubt, anxiety, or fear; safety; privacy; dignity; respect
- CONNECTEDNESS − belonging; engaged; involved; connected to time, place and nature
- MEANING − significance; heart; hope; value; purpose; sacredness
- JOY − happiness; pleasure; delight; contentment; enjoyment
Read the Eden Alternative Domains of Well-Being white paper – Revolutionising the Experience of Home by Bringing Well-Being to Life.
Warmth Surveys
In contrast to standard satisfaction surveys, Eden Alternative Warmth Surveys measure the levels of optimism, trust and generosity across an organisation.
Every gardener knows that you can’t grow plants in frozen soil. Now imagine the soil as the culture that exists in your organisation. If that culture is very cold, we know from experience that the implementation of the Eden Alternative won’t grow and develop.
There is a continuum from cold to warm, and every organisation falls somewhere along it. Cold organisations are characterised by pessimism, cynicism and stinginess, while warm organisations are characterised by optimism, trust and generosity. These qualities are essential to the success of culture-change initiatives.
The warming process begins with the formal leadership and should spread throughout the organisation so that everyone is involved in the art of creating a caring community.
Warmth Surveys can assess and prepare your organisation for adopting person-directed care practices. There are three surveys:
- Resident / Elder Survey
- Employee Survey
- Family Survey
These surveys are currently available in English and French. Should you want to access these, as well as analysis reports of your survey results, contact the us at +230 5827 7714 or info@edenaltmu.com
Newsletter
Our quaterly publication, The Eden Newsletter, features content from leaders and guest writers, as well as as our own reflections. Topics include stories from registered homes, considerations of culture-change issues, updates on events and food for hope and thought.
Online version Newletters to read
27/03/2020 – Eden News March 2020