Resident-Directed Care Creates the Feel of Home

Resident Dave Fichman needed more space for all of his family photos and frames for his loose photos. When he mentioned this to care partner Rhonda Reny, she was eager to help in whatever way she was able to. She didn’t need to think twice or seek approval for bringing in some picture frames that she wasn’t using at home and finding some inexpensive shelves. Rhonda worked with Dave to arrange all of his photos and care partner Edwin Asuncion to install the shelves.

Together with Dave, Rhonda and Edwin, decided how the photos and shelves should be arranged; creating a more home-like, personalized space for Dave.  This is an example of Eden Alternative Principle 8, which states “An Elder-centered  community honors its Elders by de-emphasizing top-down bureaucratic authority, seeking instead to place the maximum possible decision making into the hands of Elders or into the hands of those closest to them.”