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sERVING EASTERN CANADA


New Brunswick

Newfoundland

Nova Scotia

Ontario

Prince Edward Island

Quebec

Welcome to the Eden Alternative central and atlantic canada

 

 

The Eden Alternative™ helps us to see aging as a life worth living and focus on wellness.

Dr. Brian Steeves
Brian has a medical practise which is now into the fifth generation of many families. His work caring for people in a sizable regional hospital includes ER shifts. He has an office in a nearby aboriginal community, runs a methadone clinic for narcotic addicts, and serves as the medical director of a large local long term care home. Brian is also the district medical director of continuing care for Guysborough Antigonish strait health district. He currently chairs a group that is developing guidelines to assist doctors in appropriate prescribing for the frail elderly. The emphasis is on reducing the poly-pharmacy subjected to elders and is being done in conjunction with the department of geriatrics at Dalhousie university in Halifax. He is also working with geriatricians to development assessment tools to improve the assessment of elders by physicians and staff in long term care homes.
Brian resides in the Antigonish, Nova Scotia area on an organic farm with his wife Stacey. They grow most of their own food, harvesting year round from their garden, orchard, cold frames and green house. Brian interests include baking, biking, ocean kayaking and music. He is a drummer for a rhythm and blues group call “working class band”. (www.workingclassband.com)

Debra Boudreau
Debra is an occupational therapist who has worked in acute care, home care, government and currently long term care. She is the administrator of Tideview Terrace nursing home in Digby, Nova Scotia, the first registered Eden Alternative facility in Atlantic Canada. Debra’s interest in Eden started 20 years ago as a clinician working in dementia care. When she returned to Long Term Care. in 2005, she was excited to discover the evolution that the Eden philosophy of care had undergone, and was quick to bring this culture change to her organization.
Most recently, Debra led the rebuilding of a new facility and the introduction of a cross functional team model of care and is delighted to share her experience with others. She is currently involved in a research project looking at the effectiveness of various models of care on the quality of life of people living in Long Term Care. In her spare time, Debra is a yoga enthusiast and enjoys teaching the occasional yoga class.

Judy Lane
Judy Lane is the Chief Executive Officer of the Kings Way LifeCare Alliance. The Alliance is an outreach of Kings Way Assembly Church and provides leadership and governance over Kennebec Manor and Kings Way Care Centre, both nursing homes in the greater Saint John area in New Brunswick. The Alliance is currently expanding its services by developing the first Green House in the province. Judy is also the Executive Director of the Kings Way LifeCare Alliance Foundation which raises funds to provide financial support to the homes.
Judy is both a registered nurse as well as a business person. She has spent half of her career working at the New Brunswick Heart Centre in various clinical and management positions and the latter half in long term care. At the age of 18, she worked at a local nursing home, making tea and toast for the residents. This experience provided her with admiration and devotion to senior care and is one of the many reasons she works at Kings Way today. Her passion is helping those living in long term care achieve quality of life. Judy participated in the planning of a new facility as well as develop a new staffing model that included the Eden philosophy. Today, all of LifeCare Alliance homes are at various stages of the culture change journey.
Away from work, Judy enjoys spending quality time with her family and reading a good book. She believes if we work together as a team, community and family, that we can make the world a better place.
– “Be the change you wish to see in the world” – Gandhi

Janine Jaconell
Janine is the administrator at willow lodge in Tatamagouche Nova Scotia, where 61 elders call home. Her educational training in health services management was obtained through Ryerson university in Toronto and her administrator leadership certification from OANHSS. Being aware of the Eden philosophy since the late nineties, her goal has been to lead in a home that is registered and practicing the Eden alternative. This goal is what has brought her to the Maritimes. Janine brings experience obtained through diverse senior leadership roles; community living, l ’arche, retirement care and long term care communities.
Janine is passionate about the care and support given to our elders; “we must challenge ourselves on a daily basis to find opportunities for growth not only for ourselves but also for the elders we serve” it is her belief that through constant reflection, we can have great influence on the culture change necessary to eliminate boredom, isolation and loneliness.
Willow lodge has created a positive reputation in the community for the work it has done as they grow in their Eden journey. Currently, the willow lodge community is working towards milestone 3. Janine resides in the Tatamagouche area and commutes between her family home in Ontario. She travels with her canine companion Asia, a teacup Shiatzu who is an elder of 12 years.

Kathy Weagle
Kathy has a background in nursing and has spent most of her 30 plus year career in Long Term Care. She started teaching and facilitating at Hillside Pines in Bridgewater N.S in 1994 and earned a diploma in Adult Education in 2008. She has designed and delivered over 50 workplace education programs on communication, teambuilding, leadership and customer service as an instructor with the Nova Scotia Department of Labour and Advanced Education.

She holds certificates in Business Management, Human Resources, Communication/Stress Management, Gentle Persuasive Approach, Critical Incident Stress Management, P.I.E.C.E.S, Conflict Mediation, Facilitation and Coaching. Kathy is an Eden Educator with the Eden Alternative for Eastern Canada.
Kathy uses her facilitation skills to assist non-profit groups through the process of strategic planning. She currently divides her time between her Resource Guide position and her own training and facilitation business: Dragonfly Communication and Life Skills Training.
In her spare time, Kathy enjoys the great outdoors, gardening, swimming and having fun with her husband, their four children and seven grandchildren.