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Courtland Gardens > About Courtland Gardens > Eden Alternative and Neighborhood Model Eden Alternative and Neighborhood Model

Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital offers a complete range of quality health and quality of life programs for the elderly and disabled. We are dedicated to providing superior service for elders, the frail and ill in a warm, caring environment.
 
Levindale accepts a leadership role in defining and developing elder care. We proudly became the first registered Eden Alternative center in Maryland in 2000, and this philosophy is thriving today.

The goal of the Eden Alternative is to eliminate loneliness, helplessness and boredom from the daily lives of our residents. We do this by infusing an excitement about life into our center with the solutions of companionship, empowerment and spontaneity. This is a process that takes years to really blossom, and although we have already implemented the basic changes, we remain dedicated to our Eden Mission: “We are committed to creating an environment that promotes the celebration of Life. L’Chaim (To Life).”

Among the commitments we have made on behalf of our residents:

1. Arranging regular contact with children through partnerships with schools and building a playground.
2. Caring for live-in and visiting pets- including dogs, cats and birds.
3. Building a greenhouse and providing a horticulture therapy program so residents can plant flowers and vegetables. 
4. Developing "kibbutzim," small groups, to create a family atmosphere, so members can become better acquainted and help each other with the challenges of daily living.

The Neighborhood Model was the next step in our culture change journey. We began implementing this concept in 2006 and combined it with the Eden Alternative. It turns rigid nursing homes into places where residents' desires are the priority.

Among the commitments we have made on behalf of our residents:

1. Constructing new additions and renovating existing areas to create more homelike settings. We celebrate life in accordance with Jewish values.
2. Creating unique dining experiences with restaurant-style choices and a lovely ambience, to enhance the dining experience. 
3. Giving residents opportunities to make their own decisions about daily living, from when to take a shower to the paint color on the walls of a sitting room.

Continuing our commitment to culture change, we are celebrating the first phase of a $31 million construction project, which will be completed in 2012. Our new model will have small households with private bedrooms, full private showers and bathrooms, a country kitchen, a dining room, a hearth area, a den, a two-story town center and sensory gardens with playground for grandchildren.