Simply and eloquently, Ghandi's words speak to the power that each one of us has to make a difference and inspire others to do the same.  It takes courage and commitment to challenge the status quo and suggest that there may be a better way. When it comes to providing support and services for the most vulnerable and frail in our society, we should question current models of care and ask ourselves, "Can we do better?"

The Culture Change movement is asking some hard questions about long-term care. The "graying" of 79 million baby boomers is forcing long-term care professionals, advocates, and consumers to ask themselves, "Is the current care system good enough for our parents?" And soon, "Is it good enough for us?"

Culture Change is challenging us to walk the talk when it comes to quality care for our elders and those who have disabilities. Long-held "care" beliefs about program rules, policies, power and control are under the microscope, and we're finding that they often don't hold up under our new perspective. Traditional institutional models are undergoing radical transformations into person-directed systems, where both residents and direct support staff are empowered in care decisions.

The Seaton Foundation recently completed a year-long Demonstration Project with Eden Alternative, an internationally recognized leader in the Culture Change movement that has swept the nursing home industry over the past decade. Eden Alternative offers a new way of caring for elders, one that honors their spirit, contributions and capacity for continued growth. The concepts of human dignity, community, individual rights and self-direction are at the core of the organization's philosophy and approach.

Through this partnership between Eden Alternative and the Seaton Foundation, Eden LifeLong Living was created. The Eden LifeLong Living Demonstration Project, aimed at direct support professionals, was a training initiative to promote the person-centered model of care upon which the Eden Alternative tenets are based. The training workshops examined the process of creating long-term living environments that enhance the well-being of both those who receive and those who provide support. The goal of the project was to determine the benefits and application of the Eden Alternative principles and philosophy to long-term living environments for adults with cognitive disabilities. The Project confirmed our conviction that the Eden principles have applications beyond the Elder population and can have a positive impact within any residential living environment serving individuals in need. We have seen this firsthand.

I believe that every person deserves to experience the highest quality of life possible, one that has meaning, offers opportunities for growth and is infused with joy, variety and spontaneity. The institutional model is simply not set up to provide this. But this is the alternative offered by Eden. We all want to feel part of a community-we have an innate need to connect with other human beings. We all want our hopes and desires to be respected and to feel that we have some say in what happens in our own lives. Why would people with cognitive disabilities want any less?

The process of Culture Change is a marathon not a sprint, and with Eden LifeLong Living we've just left the starting line. We'll send updates on our progress over the course of the upcoming year. We believe that Eden LifeLong Living can be a powerful new voice for individuals with cognitive disabilities, and we look to the future with hope and enthusiasm.