The opening of the Marleau/Wyant Residence in 1993, a four-storey home for 160 residents, and the subsequent opening of the Kinsmen and Veterans Village in 1999 for 103 residents, set the stage for a new and innovative way to care for and support residents and their families. The introduction of the Eden Alternative™ philosophy throughout Sherbrooke has enabled residents to live fuller, more normal lives.
Sherbrooke is considered one of the most innovative facilities in Canada See Sherbrooke Community Centre a Canadian success story on CTV. In 2010 we were presented with the Master Gardener Award as the best long term care home in the world at the Eden Alternative International Conference in Denver, Colorado.
We regularly receive visitors from across Canada, the U.S.A. and Europe who want to find out about our Elder-directed philosophy and the village Model in order to adapt it for their own homes and facilities. We take great pride in our reputation as a leader and innovator with engaged and committed staff. Our mission is to create a community that supports each person to live full and abundant life.
The Eden philosophy has been the template for driving successful culture change at Sherbrooke and Central Haven. The Eden Alternative is not a program, but a philosophy that seeks to address what Dr. Bill Thomas calls the Three Plagues of nursing homes: loneliness, helplessness, and boredom. Dr. Thomas discovered that medical treatment is necessary but insufficient for quality of life, and needs to be the servant and not the master of care.
The successes that we are experiencing at Sherbrooke, the improved quality of life for residents and the increased opportunities for volunteers, students and families to become involved in building a vibrant community at Sherbrooke are a testament to good planning and the support of our many generous and committed donors.
But the work continues! To ensure that Sherbrooke can continue to implement important innovations and further expand the Eden Alternative ® philosophy, we need your support!
As a potential donor, we know you will be proud to be associated with Sherbrooke. We welcome you to our home and our lives!
An Elder is not defined by age, and does not refer to the elder in First Nations culture, rather it is a term interchangeable with Resident. We define an Elder as a person who has something to teach us. Sherbrooke Community Centre has been a registered Eden Alternative home since 1999.
To learn more about Sherbrooke’s mission, vision and values, the principles of the Eden Alternative ®, the Eden Domains of Well-Being and Sherbrooke’s Village Model, person-directed care and multi-skilled staff please go to sherbrookecommunitycentre.ca