Pets crept into the center last March after Michelle attended a workshop on the Eden Alternative. She shifts her juice and crackers into one hand so she can caress Ben's ears. The nursing home standard is a sterile and isolated environment where the main attractions are bingo and crafts classes. Under the Eden philosophy, nursing homes and assisted living centers trade an institutional atmosphere for a homey feeling. A jungle of plants brightens hallways, rooms and offices.
Children visit often to play games, sit on laps and share young energy.
Pets chase away loneliness and boredom and give residents something to nurture. Two centers in Spokane, one in Sandpoint and one in Lewiston also follow the Eden method. Life Care's workers enjoy the pets as much as the residents do. Jon Irwin, Life Care's director of staff development, brings Max, his black German shepherd, to work every day. The cats are declawed.