Anthroposophic Home Care

Rudolf Steiner and Dr Ita Wegman, in the early 1920s, developed a natural form of medicine for doctors and nurses that considered not only the physical being but also the soul and spirit of each individual human being in their approach to health and wellbeing.This was later introduced to allied health professionals as Anthroposophic Home Care to enable practitioners to extend this care within the scope of their possibilities, abilities and social responsibilities to help their clients integrate health and illness towards balance.

Through therapies, education and counselling, Self healing and well-being are stimulated and the individual is supported towards self knowledge. Practitioners are trained to develop an understanding of a person's individual situation and in using the four elements (earth, fire, water and air) and the three fold picture of the human being an wholistic treatment is created.

Therapies range depending on individual assessment. Natural plant substances are used such as Lavender, Lemon, Mustard, Ginger, Chamomile and Yarrow. Some examples of therapies include: compresses of yarrow to the liver to support liver function, chamomile to the tummy for abdominal concerns such as supporting digestion and settling the nervous system for sleep, footbaths for warmth and calm and supporting transitions, rhythmical einreibung using warmed therapeutic oils for anxiety, stress, fatigue, grief and reconnecting to Self, hydrotherapy such as nutritional baths for replenishing and relaxing, and inhalations of oils or teas such as eucalyptus and chamomile for colds / flus and sinusitis.

The importance of warmth in all treatments is optimum as it's the necessary vessel between the physical and spiritual being. This is an important aspect to self healing. Through the home care impulse, the activation of a person's own natural healing is invited to support restoration of balance to health. The Anthroposophic Home Carer can work alongside Anthroposophic Doctors and other practitioners to address the specific needs of each patient.