Editorial Putting the “Home ” Back in Nursing Home

URING the past decade, there has been an attempt to medicalize the nursing home industry. This has led to an attempt to replace nursing home with “long-term care.” While the introduction of a medical director into nursing homes and intense medical research into care in nursing homes has resulted in improved medical care, it has also been associated with increased bureaucratic regulations that have decreased the ability of residents to live in a home-like atmosphere for their final years. In this issue of the Journal, two articles explore the ef-fects of introduction of versions of the Eden Alternative into nursing homes. The Eden Alternative utilized pets, plants, and children together with involvement of all the staff in creating a home-like atmosphere in the nursing home (1). Despite great enthusiasm for the Eden Alternative, there are minimum scientific data for its ability to enhance outcomes in nursing homes. Coleman and colleagues (2), in this issue of th