Shaping The Future of Aging- The Eden Alternative Podcast
Sep 3, 2026 · 35 min · 13 segments
What does person-directed care look like in South Africa? In this episode, Willem Myburgh shares how The Eden Alternative South Africa is inspiring culture change, strengthening communities, and…
Willem MyburghGuestEmilyHost
That's such an interesting question, you know, because we've got such a diverse cultural population, um, and it's viewed differently in different cultures.
Um, the biggest difference specifically is how the older people are cared for.
So predominantly in the Caucasian families, older people are cared for within the retirement homes and retirement villages, where within your African and colored communities, um, they care for their older people at home.
Um, and it's seen as a, a negative, you know, if, if the family can't look after the older.
So aging, I think, as a whole in South Africa is-- it's a very complex issue.
It's a, it's an issue that I think affects the different races and the different cultures differently, which makes it challenging in terms of policies and laws.
Um, you know, and, and, uh, you know, of course, the apartheid history and all of that in-influences how funding is structured.
Um, so yeah, aging is a, as I think within any other country, it's a, it's a complex, challenging situation.
Mm-hmm.
... are you having more experience with the nursing homes, or is it kind of a conundrum that you're trying to provide support for the nursing homes as well as those, uh, supporting their loved ones in home?
So initially, it was predominantly focused on, on nursing homes, retirement villages, and so forth, um, because that's where Gerotech, the, the, the company that I work for, you know, had its footprint because Gerotech, um, provides catering services.
I think it's only now that we are venturing into independent living or people who are living into the community, um, realizing that that's where the majority of older people are, is in the communities, and how do we empower people with the knowledge of the Eden Alternative and the domains of wellbeing while they're still at home? And, and yeah, that's an interesting challenge, um, something that I think is gonna change Eden South Africa a lot over the next five years.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, I agree.
... that we're seeing people are holding off wanting to stay in their home as long as possible, and-
...
the Eden principles apply in a home setting as well.
[laughs]
That's such an interesting question, you know, because we've got such a diverse cultural population, um, and it's viewed differently in different cultures.
Um, the biggest difference specifically is how the older people are cared for.
So predominantly in the Caucasian families, older people are cared for within the retirement homes and retirement villages, where within your African and colored communities, um, they care for their older people at home.
Um, and it's seen as a, a negative, you know, if, if the family can't look after the older.
So aging, I think, as a whole in South Africa is-- it's a very complex issue.
It's a, it's an issue that I think affects the different races and the different cultures differently, which makes it challenging in terms of policies and laws.
Um, you know, and, and, uh, you know, of course, the apartheid history and all of that in-influences how funding is structured.
Um, so yeah, aging is a, as I think within any other country, it's a, it's a complex, challenging situation.
Mm-hmm.
... are you having more experience with the nursing homes, or is it kind of a conundrum that you're trying to provide support for the nursing homes as well as those, uh, supporting their loved ones in home?
So initially, it was predominantly focused on, on nursing homes, retirement villages, and so forth, um, because that's where Gerotech, the, the, the company that I work for, you know, had its footprint because Gerotech, um, provides catering services.
I think it's only now that we are venturing into independent living or people who are living into the community, um, realizing that that's where the majority of older people are, is in the communities, and how do we empower people with the knowledge of the Eden Alternative and the domains of wellbeing while they're still at home? And, and yeah, that's an interesting challenge, um, something that I think is gonna change Eden South Africa a lot over the next five years.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, I agree.
... that we're seeing people are holding off wanting to stay in their home as long as possible, and-
...
the Eden principles apply in a home setting as well.
[laughs]
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