November 13th, 2009
By Rita Cheng
I have been privileged to receive a personal tour of the SUCCESS long term care home. Showing me the way was: Alice Choy, Jenny Lo, Maggie Ip, Mickey Tse and Tony Moy. Right from the start of my tour, I knew this place was different. It didn’t smell like an institution, and I have the sense that it was a home. Throughout our tour, our group was constantly interrupted by residents who came up to chat with one of my touring hosts. Signs of kindness and compassion were abundant.
Mr. Yue, chair of SUCCESS resident committee presents a thank you card to Superior Tofu CEO, Rita Cheng.
I was advised that the home practice the 10 principals of Eden Alternatives. The Alternative was created by Dr. Bill Thomas in 2002. Simply stated from their website http://www.edenalt.org/
Mission:
To improve the well-being of Elders and those who care for them by transforming the communities in which they live and work.
Vision:
To eliminate loneliness, helplessness, and boredom.
Values:
The Eden Alternative Ten Principles
http://www.edenalt.org/our-10-principles
Principal No.9 resonates with my personal philosophy in life. It simply stated that: Creating an Elder-centered community is a never-ending process. Human growth must never be separated from human life.
Two real life stories came to my mind which clearly demonstrated Principal No. 9; Morrie Schwartz (Tuesdays with Morrie), a retired university professor who taught some of life’s greatest lessons from his death bed. The other remarkable person is Jean-Dominique Bauby (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly) who wrote a book a letter at a time by blinking his eyes. His book was written with 200,000 blinks! To me there lies the beauty in life, our body will cease, however our mind can continue to grow and give.
