26 CARE HOME PROFESSIONAL | August 2019
THE BIG INTERVIEW PAUL NEWMAN, CEO, GREENSLEEVES CARE
because they might be doing things
better than we are and there might be
ideas we can adopt and transfer to the
other homes,” the CEO said.
“It’s a very devolved organisation,
each of our home managers will put
together their own annual business
plan and we will consolidate it at the
centre and make sure it all adds up and
we are heading in the right direction.
We give great autonomy to the front line
and particularly the home managers.”
Managers are welcome to visit each
other’s homes and learn from each other.
Staff are also thoroughly trained in
the charity’s culture and care values
with 19 out of its 24 homes accredited
with the Eden Alternative care
philosophy (see box below).
Nineteen out of Greensleeves’ 24 are
currently Eden Alternative accredited.
“We like it because it’s about creating
vibrant communities and enabling
older people to thrive and fulfil their
ambitions,” Paul said.
“We reject the sentiment that older
people are on a downwards trajectory
when they enter a care home. We have
lots of residents doing lots of crazy
things such as learning to drive and
parachuting in later life. No matter
how old or frail you are, there are stillthings you want to achieve in your life
and consider important to you.
“What we do through Eden is try
to get that out through people and
fulfil those wishes. It’s not just about
the residents. The pay-off is also with
staff too. Rather than having this
task orientated approach to care, the
residents are suddenly people who you
are chatting to about what they want
to do. That’s as much as why our staff
turnover is lower because we treat our
residents as friends who we want to
help. Eden makes a vibrant and lively
home in which to live and work.
“80-90% of our residents are
female and have spent their entire
life looking after other people
and all of a sudden they are being
looked after and some find that
really uncomfortable. We encourage
residents to care for each other. We
will get people in the kitchen who
love cooking and carry on doing the
things they used to do. We have a
resident who used to work in the
hospitality sector who sets up silver
service on the tables on a daily basis
and that’s their job; it gives them
fulfilment and they enjoy doing it for
themselves and others.”
The outside community is encouraged
to come into the home through toddler,
school and community groups.EDEN ALTERNATIVE CARE
The Eden Alternative (EA) care philosophy was
developed in 1994 by the medical director of a US
nursing home, Jerry Trishan, who realised loneliness,
helplessness and boredom affected residents more
than the conditions precipitating their move intothe home. Based on 10 principles (see below), it is a
philosophy of care for older people and those with
disabilities that aims to eliminate these negative
emotional states and recapture a meaningful work life
for staff.THE EDEN ALTERNATIVE PRINCIPLES- Loneliness, helplessness and boredom account for most suffering in older people
- Ensure life revolves around close, continuing contact with plants, animals and children
- There should be easy access to loving companionship – the antidote to loneliness
- Give people the chance to give, as well as receive, care to counteract helplessness
- Daily life should be imbued with variety and spontaneity to counteract boredom
- The opportunity to do things we find meaningful is essential to human health
- Medical treatment should be the servant of genuine human caring, never its master
- Honour older people by giving them maximum decision-making authority
- Creating an elder-centred community is a never ending process; human growth must never be separated
from human life - Wise leadership is essential to prevent loneliness, helplessness and boredom
Lavender Fields in Sevenoaks