Eden Alternative

The Eden Alternative is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to remaking the experience of aging and disability across America and around the world. We provide education and resources for improving quality of life for our Elders and for recapturing a meaningful work life for their Caregivers. We are dedicated to supporting others in the creation of communities which eliminate the plagues of Loneliness, Helplessness, and Boredom. These are plagues of the human spirit, not the human body, but they can be just as debilitating and just as deadly as any disease of the body.

The core concept of The Eden Alternative is strikingly simple. We must teach ourselves to see places where Elders live as habitats for human beings rather than facilities for the frail and elderly. We must learn what Mother Nature has to teach us about vibrant, vigorous living.

The Eden Alternative shows us how companion animals, the opportunity to give meaningful care to other living things, and the variety and spontaneity that mark an enlivened community can succeed where pills and therapies fail.   It also shows us how real leaders can create a warm culture that is characterized by optimism, trust, generosity and people working together to make a better world for our Elders.