The Eden Alternative

The Eden Alternative is an approach that aims to address what it terms as the three plagues of care home life:

• Loneliness
• Helplessness
• Boredom

We aim to achieve this by encouraging everyone to lead a life worth living.

At Hillside, we are proud of the fact that we were the first home in the whole of Wales to be formally registered under the Eden Alternative.

We have lots of pets & animals which help make the environment feel more like home rather than an institution. Residents are also encouraged to play a role in the day to day routine of life in the care home, be it helping to prepare vegetables for meals, making scones, gardening, helping with cleaning or the laundry. Of course, people are never forced, it is always a matter of individual choice!

The choice to freely go outside and to go on trips is often important to our sense of well-being. This is why we have fully accessible gardens / courtyards at every level throughout the home and have several trips out each week in our accessible mini bus.

The staff team are enthusiastic and chose to set up various groups to enhance the residents environment and quality of life further, for example:

These teams meet regularly, thereby maintaining the energy and enthusiasm across the home.

There are also a range of group entertainment and activities that runs alongside the enriching day to day type of activities. Singers, dancers, magicians and a variety of performers are all regular visitors to the home, typically a couple of times every week throughout the year. We also have occasional themed days throughout the year and regular BBQ’s when the weather is suitable.

At the end of the day, the underlying ambiance of a home comes down to the relationships between the residents, their families and the staff team. At Hillside we take pride in trying to ensure that such relationships are positive and inclusive.