.

Upcoming Events

Eden LifeLong Living™ One-day Workshop

Current programs are "Private" per community.

If you would like to schedule an ELL Training for your team please contact us at:
info@EdenLifeLongLiving.org


May 2009

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In this issue...
Resilience and Sense of Purpose in Long-term Care Environments
May Is Mental Health Month
Useful Resources

Upcoming Events
September 30-October 2, 2009
SAVE THE DATE
October 15-17, 2009
North American Brain Injury (NABIS) 7th Annual Conference on Brain Injury and 21st Annual Conference on Legal Issues in Brain Injury
For more information on Abstract submission, exhibiting, or sponsoring opportunities e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it '; document.write( '' ); document.write( addy_text99442 ); document.write( '<\/a>' ); //-->\n This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Ikigai Newsletter
"That which makes life worth living..." 		May 2009
Dear Shelley,

 In this month's edition, I address the idea of resilience for individuals with cognitive disabilities and its relationship to well-being. This is something we can all relate to in today's world where change and adaptation are so necessary. When we accept that challenges, whether positive or negative, can offer opportunities for growth and change, we can view our support of others in a new light.
The path to well-being and LifeLong living is a never-ending journey, not a destiny. Sometimes we are the recipient of support, sometimes the provider. Either way, we all want to remain optimistic that life is full of potential.
Best regards,
David Seaton
President, Seaton Foundation
Resilience and Sense of Purpose in
Long-term Care Environments
by David Seaton

"Believe that life is worth living and your belief will create the fact." 
~William James

Okinawans call it ikigai (that which makes life worth living). On the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica, they talk about plan de vida (life purpose). Whatever word you use, this concept is the key to a long and happy life. When you take away someone's purpose, their reason to get up in the morning, whether that be their social connections, the opportunity to feel useful and to help others, or the daily rituals that add enjoyment to life, you significantly affect the length and quality of that person's life. And isn't that ultimately our goal, as long-term care providers, to help create the highest quality of life possible, for as long as possible?

A sense of purpose is strongly associated with resilience, the capacity of individuals to adapt to adversity and change. Individuals with cognitive disabilities must daily address issues associated with their challenges, whether they have lived with a disability for their entire life or have experienced a change in life circumstances as a result of an injury or illness. In order to support these individuals in developing a quality life, we can't start from a foundation that focuses just on deficits, diagnoses and limitations. We must start from a place of personal aspiration and possibilities. John Reich, a social psychologist on the Arizona State University Resilience Solutions Group team puts it this way, "At the heart of human adaptation is resilience, the ability to create a positive world for ourselves, often in the face of stressful life experiences, and the ability to resist being overtaken by negative experiences when they seem to be overwhelming."

According to a study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry in 2008, "the most important psychosocial factor associated with resilience or recovered status was a sense of higher purpose in life." We can learn a great deal about resilience and adaptation from individuals with disabilities--this is not a novel idea. In reality, most individuals with cognitive disabilities will not  "recover," and that's not the goal. But we can support them to continually grow, build relationships and find their place in a world that sometimes moves way too fast. By transforming long-term care settings into supportive LifeLong Living environments that promote purposeful living through volunteer work in the community, personal responsibility, connectedness to others and the simple pleasures of daily living, we are telling individual's with cognitive disabilities that their lives are meaningful, that they are needed and their contributions do make a difference.

As human beings, we are all in search of ikigai or plan de vida. Acknowledging this fact allows us to see that the things that separate us are not as important as what connects us to one another. It is our responsibility in the long-term care field to create environments that continue to give individuals the chance to experience hope, optimism and purpose in their life. Anything less is simply inadequate.

To read more about the concepts in this article, visit The Blue Zones for information on living longer and better and Arizona State University Resilience Solutions Group.
May Is Mental Health Month
In honor of Mental Health Month, Mental Health America is launching the Live Your Life WellSM campaign. In addition to offering 10 specific research-based tools to help combat stress and improve well-being, Mental Health America offers a wealth of resources, including tips on how famlies can cope during these tough economic times. Visit www.mentalhealthamerica.net/go/mentalhealthmonth for more information.

Useful Resources
We've changed our name!
About Us
The Center for LifeLong Living & Planning (CLLP), formerly the Center for LifeLong Planning, was established to provide helpful resources for professionals and caregivers dedicated to improving the well-being of persons with cognitive disabilities through support and planning. We are committed to promoting better communication and understanding of the multiple issues related to LifeLong Living and planning for individuals with cognitive disabilities over the course of their lifetime.
The Center for Lifelong Living & Planning is a program of the Seaton Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) organization, which was established in 1986 to provide information and educational opportunities for families of and professionals working with individuals with cognitive disabilities.