On Thursday, July 14th at 1:00 p.m. ET, the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America’s Care Connection will feature Laura Beck from the Eden Alternative Home Office for “Care Partnership: Breathing New Life into the Giving & Receiving of Care.”
As a concept, “care partnership” promotes a culture of meaningful care that does not see the needs of caregivers as separate from the needs of care receivers, but rather advocates for the well-being of the whole care relationship.
Eden at Home, an initiative of The Eden Alternative® focused on creating quality of life in home and community-based care environments, emphasizes building collaborative care partner teams inspired by concepts central to person-directed care. By definition, care partners include family, friends, neighbors, volunteers, home health professionals, and the individual often typically referred to as the “care receiver.” Working together, care partner teams help to ensure the independence, dignity, and continued growth and development of everyone on the team.
“We live in a PC culture that often dictates the use of certain words or jargon, but we may not know exactly why we are bothering,” Beck said. “There are times, however, when choosing our language mindfully can play an important part in helping us see things differently.”
“Care Partner” is one of those terms that can transform a relationship. When those usually described as care receivers learn that they have something to give, no matter how subtle, and those typically described as care givers recognize what they receive in return, some amazing shifts can occur in how these individuals relate to each other, Beck said.
Successful care partner teams require that everyone involved be part of the solution. It calls on the creative input of everyone on the team. Empowered care partner teams learn how to identify and build on their shared strengths. This involves understanding what every team member — no matter what their limitations may be — has to bring to the table. It involves being sensitive to the balance of giving and receiving that is playing out in every moment. The result is a richer, more satisfying sense of collaboration and connection, all the way around.
This is a free hour-long teleconference open to care partners across the care continuum all over the country. You may access the call by dialing the following:
Call toll-free: 877-AFA-2992/877-232-2992
Guest identification number: 271004#
To learn more about AFA, click here.
