Whats an example of something from the Eden philosophy that caregivers can integrate into their lives?
We teach people how to go beyond care giving. There’s this idea, which is very common in our culture, that care giving is a “pair” relationship: a caregiver and the person getting cared for. It’s a one-on-one relationship and other people help, if they can. And that’s actually not the way care has been given in most of human history, when care needs were distributed across a clan or tribe or family network. So we try to help people build “care partner networks,” so that the elder is a part of that care partner network, along with maybe a daughter, and maybe a friend from church. We help teach people that one of the most important things you can do as a care partner is to help grow the network, so that you have more people lending a hand, and that is healthier for the elder and the care partner. Where can people read about the Eden at Home concepts? At the Eden Alternative website, and there are also trainings people can go to. We’re working on making them available in more parts of the
