DATE: Wednesday, October 8, 1997            TAG: 9710080066

SECTION: DAILY BREAK             PAGE: E1   EDITION: FINAL  

SOURCE: BY PAM STARR 

                                            LENGTH:  222 lines

CORRECTION/CLARIFICATION: ***************************************************************** In a Daily Break story Wednesday about pets at nursing homes, Mango should have been identified as a Moluccan cockatoo, not a cockatiel. Correction published Thursday, October 9, 1997. ***************************************************************** CREATURE COMFORTS MORE AND MORE NURSING HOMES ARE BEING "EDENIZED' WITH ANIMALS, PLANTS

MANGO THE Moluccan cockatiel isn't your typical nursing home resident.

Neither are cats Sterling and Aja, Tush-Cush the greyhound, lovebirds Boris and Natasha, or the other nonhuman inhabitants of Seaside Health Center at Atlantic Shores.

But as part of the Eden Alternative, a radical movement in the nursing home industry, these birds and animals are permanent fixtures in the newly opened 56-bed facility off Dam Neck Road in Virginia Beach.

Live plants brighten the lobby, activity room and carpeted hallways. A colorful enclosed garden invites residents and staff to take a break outside. Exotic fish lazily swim in the huge aquarium at the entrance to the administrative offices, where a number of birds chirp away in pairs as the staff goes about their business.

Having residents live in a comfortable human habitat rather than a cold, sterile environment where everything is regimented makes complete, common sense, says activity director Laura Watts.

Watts had read the book ``Life Worth Living'' by Dr. William Thomas, the founder of the Eden Alternative, several months ago and thought it could work at Seaside Health Center.

``I knew we could create a great nursing home,'' says Watts, trying to extract a pearl from Mango that he had pulled off her barrette. ``It creates a homelike environment. Everyone on staff is really excited. It makes it more fun to work. ``I believe this is the way to go.''

Paula Radell, the director of health services, agreed after reading the book.

Although only 200 out of 17,000 nursing homes nationwide have incorporated the Eden Alternative, Radell thought it was a concept whose time had arrived. A former hospital case worker and discharge planner, Radell had to refer many patients to nursing homes. Several said they would rather die than go to a nursing home.

``Traditionally, what we do in nursing facilities is group people together of a like age and take over their lives,'' she says, watching lovebirds Boris and Natasha crawl up a pants leg of a visitor. ``That reinforces helplessness. You take away their ability to interact. What do they have to get up for?''

She pauses, plucks the lovebirds away and places them on her desk. Boris and Natasha stealthily make their way back to the visitor.

``If you introduce elements of spontaneity, you begin to see people relating to something other than their condition,'' she continues, smiling at the lovebirds' antics. ``We have to believe that there is something in everyone's souls that will respond to life, whether it be a bird, a cat, a plant, a baby - whatever.''

Residents aren't the only ones who benefit.

In nursing homes that use the Eden Alternative, pharmacy bills have been cut in half, staff turnover slashed an average of 26 percent, the infection rate halved, and the mortality rate reduced an average of 15 percent.

Dr. William Thomas, who first introduced the Eden Alternative in 1991 at Chase Memorial Nursing Home in upstate New York, says the program eliminates the three plagues of nursing homes: loneliness, helplessness and boredom.

As Thomas travels across the country, visiting perhaps 100 nursing homes a year, he keeps hearing the same thing.

``More and more people are saying they've got to change,'' he says. ``But the easiest thing to do is what you've been doing. This is hard work to change the culture of an institution.

``Our goal is to change all the nursing homes in the U.S. to the Eden Alternative,'' he adds. ``We have 16,800 more to go. But we'll get there.''

Seaside isn't the only nursing home in Hampton Roads to embrace the Eden Alternative. Sentara Nursing Center on South Newtown Road in Norfolk started to ``Edenize'' its 223-bed facility in April and is serving as an unofficial guinea pig for the other Sentara nursing facilities.

Three cats, one dog, several fish, two dozen parakeets, one dozen lovebirds and assorted other birds - but no guinea pig - now reside in the nursing home. About six residents have their own birds in cages in their rooms. Two aviaries are also in the building process.

Assistant administrator Jeremy Schuchert says that incorporating the Eden Alternative was not something that could be done overnight. It has taken a lot of physical labor - putting together the huge bird cage and building a 900-square-foot dog run - and mental persuasion. Some of the staff, he admits, were apprehensive about working around animals.

``But we're working through that with education,'' says Schuchert, standing by the 7-foot-tall wire cage that houses two dozen parakeets. ``We've gotten a lot of good comments from families. And we've noticed a changed in the residents. At least two dozen now get out of their rooms a lot more.''

Schuchert, who usually performs administrative duties, now finds himself taking cats' temperatures, giving them medicine (two had respiratory distress syndrome and had to be quarantined for two weeks), feeding the birds and making rounds much like a veterinarian.

``Everyone calls me the zookeeper,'' he says with a laugh, ``but it's fun, it's different. It decreases my stress, absolutely.''

Another part of the Eden Alternative concerns children. The natural enthusiasm and energy of children are good for the elderly, the book says. Some Edenized facilities have on-site day care centers where residents can visit youngsters and serve as surrogate grandparents.

That won't happen at Sentara or Seaside any time soon.

However, Sentara Nursing Center is letting Brownie and Girl Scout troops meet at the facility. Seaside Health Center has an exchange program with Ocean Lakes Elementary School, with one student a week spending a day at the center. Staffers' children are welcome at any time, and a kids day is held every month. Scout troops also meet there.

Soon, a playground will be built outside so residents can see happy children at play.

Paula Radell says that children will ``evoke a response'' from the residents.

``With a variety of things going on, it stimulates them to maximize their ability,'' she says.

All positive results aside, there are questions that beg an answer.

Who cleans up after all these birds and animals? What about allergies? Do the residents really like having animals around? How much does this cost? Aren't there health regulations that are being ignored?

At Seaside Health Center, everyone helps. Their motto is, if you see a mess, clean it up. That's what they have a wet/dry vac for, says Laura Watts. The evening staff waters the plants, cleans Mango's perches and puts covers on the cages.

``If you don't have staff behind you, it's not going to work,'' she says.

Allergies have been a concern for some, she admits. But Thomas says in his book that as people age, their immune system isn't up to creating an allergic reaction. Besides, most allergies are caused by animal dander. Because nursing homes have stringent housecleaning requirements, it's unlikely that dander accumulates to a degree that would cause an allergic reaction like it would in someone's house that isn't cleaned as regularly.

Residents, for the most part, love having animals around. The first day Jean Stringfellow came to Seaside Health Center, the cat Sterling curled up in her lap and slept on her bed, much to her delight, says her daughter, Jaqueline Dalton.

``I think it's very nice,'' says Dalton. ``We read about it (the Eden Alternative) in an ad and signed her up right away. They really make an effort to make people feel good.''

But what about the bureaucratic red tape? The only real problem lies with public health laws, which prohibit animals in food-service areas. But that can be remedied simply by keeping them away from the kitchen and dining rooms.

Thomas believes in grabbing the bull by the horns.

``We've advised people to bring regulators right in and give them a copy of the book,'' Thomas says by phone. ``Invite them in, work with them. Inspectors can see that you're enhancing the quality of life.''

The cost of Edenizing a facility can be offset by selecting animals from the SPCA, as Sentara Nursing Center did. It also benefited from a $10,000 grant given by Parke-Davis Pharmaceuticals, of which $6,000 has been spent.

Both nursing homes received good deals on birds and bird feed from area pet stores and plants from local garden shops.

The animal issue is a little stickier. Thomas strongly suggests bringing in adult cats and dogs that are known for having easygoing temperaments. Puppies, with their unpredictability and penchant for chewing things, are not suited for a nursing home environment.

And sometimes, there is a resident who doesn't know that he or she is squeezing the dog too hard or pulling on a cat's tail. That patient must be monitored by the staff when an animal is around, says Paula Radell.

``It all comes with knowing your residents,'' she says. ``Animals tend to self-select who they'll go to.''

Mango the Moluccan cockatiel will go to just about anybody. Hand fed from a baby, the 10-month-old prefers traveling on a staffer's shoulder and nuzzling a neck to sitting alone on one of his many perches.

Radell watches Laura Watts stroll down the hall with a content Mango. She and Watts are so gung-ho about the Eden Alternative that they've signed on to be consultants for other facilities that want to Edenize. Watts' Isuzu Trooper even boasts ``Edenizd'' license plates.

``There's definitely a risk, but we're so convinced it's the right thing to do,'' Radell says. ``It's a commitment but pays such dividends. Twenty years from now the Eden Alternative won't be in the minority.''

As if to agree, Mango spreads his peach-colored wings, ruffles the feathers around his neck and heartily squawks. MEMO: For more information on the Eden Alternative, call (607) 674-5232

or fax (607) 674-6723. E-mail: rumpelst@norwich.net ILLUSTRATION: Color photo by Gary C. Knapp/The Virginian-Pilot

Mrs. Jean Stringfellow...

Laura Watts, activity director...

GARY C. KNAPP

Sterling the cat is one of several full-time pets at Atlantic Shores

Retirement Community, wondering the building at will during the day.

At night, he sleeps with a favorite resident.

Graphic

WHAT IT TAKES TO ``EDENIZE''

Here are the 10 principles needed for the ``edenizing'' of a nursing

home. The facility must:

1. Understand that loneliness, helplessness and boredom account for

the bulk of suffering in a typical nursing home.

2. Commit itself to surrendering the institutional point of view,

adopting the Human Habitat model, making pets, plants and children

the axis of daily life.

3. Provide easy access to companionship by promoting close and

continuing contact between the elements of the Human Habitat and

nursing home residents.

4. Provide daily opportunities to give as well as receive care by

promoting resident participation in the daily round of activities

that are necessary to maintain the Human Habitat.

5. Imbue daily life with variety and spontaneity by creating an

environment in which unexpected and unpredictable interactions and

happenings can take place.

6. De-emphasize the programmed activities approach to life and

devote those resources to the maintenance and growth of the Human

Habitat.

7. De-emphasize the role of prescription drugs in the residents'

daily life and commit these resources to the maintenance and growth

of the Human Habitat.

8. De-emphasize top-down bureaucratic authority in the nursing home

and seek instead to place the maximum possible decision-making

authority in the hands of those closest to the residents.

9. Understand that Edenizing is a process and not a program and that

the Human Habitat, once created, should be helped to grow and

develop like any other living thing.

10. Be blessed with leadership that places the need to improve

resident quality of life over and above the inevitable objections to

change. Leadership is the lifeblood of the Edenizing process and for

it there is no substitute.

To learn more about the Eden Alternative, call (607) 674-5232 or fax

(607) 674-6723. E-mail: rumpelst norwich.net KEYWORDS: NURSING HOME EDENIZE EDEN ALTERNATIVE

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