A voice for change, Dr. Bill Thomas was featured in the very first regional Alzheimer’s Association publication, Spring 1999 issue, which I received after my hometown arrival in late ‘98. It was at a time when the media had only recently begun to describe institutional care of older people with the dreadful word, “warehousing.”
Finding his article was an unforgettable moment in which his compelling words totally resonated. Today, over two decades later, his leadership has activated a radical shift in how we view caring for elders.
“Other cultures view caregiving as an opportunity to honor their elders for ‘who they are now’ rather than viewing them as a corrupted version of what they used to be. . . . We need to transform the way we think about and care for our elders.”
A pioneer movement – The Eden Alternative – had been co-founded by Dr. Bill Thomas and Jude Thomas in 1994 only five years prior to when we began our intergenerational experience at the ranch – so, no facilities in the Midwest had yet been “Edenized.”
Eliminating Loneliness, Helplessness, and Boredom
The powerful tenets of the Eden vision include eliminating these conditions of the spirit – loneliness, helplessness, and boredom. The transformational ideas of this pioneering geriatrician, speaking out for change in the culture of elder care, have now spread around the globe impacting 16 countries since the founding of The Eden Alternative.
Subsequently, Dr. Thomas founded the Green House movement which offers a new, non-institutional design and mode of operation. Contrasted with a traditional nursing home, the smaller Green House, comprised of 7-10 elders in an intentional community, supports later-life growth, development, and well-being.
The Green House movement has grown from its first facility in Mississippi at the time of this publication (2004) to being among the top designs in the transformation of elder care culture today.
Beyond Ageism
What Are Old People For? In this publication, Dr. Thomas presents a full and comprehensive discussion of old age in which he proposes another stage – that of “elderhood.” Our culture has long denied old age – a time in which people become virtually invisible, tucked away out of sight. Ageism prevails and we hold onto adulthood for as long as possible.
As an internationally-known geriatrician, he seeks to end ageism across the age spectrum, with a focus on what one is capable of doing, regardless of life-stage. He advocates for a culture in which we look to those who have achieved “elderhood” to share with us their wisdom, mentoring, and guidance.
Dr. Thomas envisions an Eldertopia in which it is recognized that “Aging and the aged are not, as so often supposed, the cause of our problems.” Instead, “They are and always have been the source of the answers we need.”
Reviewed by: Susan Troyer
