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We do many things every day to help meet the needs of our residents. It becomes second nature to look out for their physical, social, environmental, and emotional wellbeing. Yet, it’s all too easy to put spiritual care off to the side or assume the chaplaincy department will take care of that need.
No matter what our religious background or beliefs, everyone has spiritual needs. My goal today is to offer you some tools to help you provide spiritual care for your residents.
(Since I’m a Christian, I realize this post will have a Christian slant to it. However, I want to clarify that it’s not okay for any of us to force our beliefs onto a resident.)
1. Help maintain contact with their home church
Sadly, when people enter senior living communities, they often lose contact with their home churches. Many of these folks actively took part in their congregations for decades. Now, this becomes another of the many losses in their lives.
Some residents are content with forming new relationships through religious programming at the nursing home. However, if they would like to maintain contact with their home church, there are several ways you can help.
Contact the pastor and do some brainstorming. Perhaps you can work with the congregation to:
- Provide transportation to church services or special events.
- Recruit volunteers to visit regularly or to attend activities with the resident.
- Send cards and notes on special occasions.
- Offer phone calls to check in on the resident periodically.
- Deliver recordings of weekly worship services.
- Arrange for a Bible study group to meet at the nursing home so the resident can attend.
2. Say grace before a meal
Many residents share a family tradition of giving thanks to God before meals. You can offer to say a brief prayer before a meal begins. Better yet, invite a resident to say grace.
It’s fine to share either a spontaneous prayer or a favorite traditional table grace. This post from Virginia Theological Seminary offers 10 familiar options that I know many of your residents will recognize.
3. Share music
Over the years, I remember two separate occasions when I witnessed a profound and unexpected response to music. In each case, I was sitting in a chapel service with a resident living in the late stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Neither of these residents had spoken in many weeks. Then, as the congregation started singing a beloved old hymn, the resident began to softly sing along. I suspect some of you have witnessed this, too.
Sometimes when nothing else seems to get through, music can still touch the soul of a resident. That’s why it’s important to discover what types of music are meaningful to our residents.
There are many ways to share the beauty of music with our residents. We might sing a passage of a hymn to—or with—a resident. Perhaps we can provide CDs of inspirational or comforting songs. Or, we can invite musicians to come in and present programs of spiritual songs for those who wish to attend.
4. Say a prayer
One of my duties as a volunteer is to escort residents to and from Sunday services in the nursing home chapel. Occasionally, a resident will tell me they don’t want to go because they hurt, they’re tired, or they just don’t feel well.
In these situations, I’ll often ask if it’s okay for me to remember them in my prayers later in the day. I never recall a resident declining this offer. Regardless of a person’s religious beliefs, it’s usually comforting to know that someone is praying for them.
Some nursing homes have rules about whether you can pray aloud with or for a resident. I feel fortunate that the nursing home where I volunteer is very open to allowing us to provide prayer as a form of spiritual care. Frequently, I’ve seen how a simple prayer provides comfort to a resident who is anxious, discouraged, or experiencing pain.
5. Learn about end-of-life religious traditions
Many ethnic groups or faith communities share rich end-of-life traditions. These often provide comfort to a dying resident and their family.
If we don’t understand these traditions, they can seem strange or confusing to us as caregivers. But if we know what’s happening, we can be supportive.
For example, I remember one chilly autumn night when a family member opened the window in a resident’s room as she took her last breaths. This struck me as odd. That is until I learned that this common tradition in Scandinavian countries represents the soul leaving the body and exiting the room.
Ask the resident and their family about traditions important to them at the end of life. It’s also helpful to provide staff education on the death traditions of various cultures and faiths.
6. Share Bible verses
If the resident is receptive, offer to read the Bible with them. There are so many verses that can provide comfort and encouragement in challenging situations. Here’s an example of a guide you can use to find the right verse for a variety of situations.
7. Make inspirational books or other reading materials available
This is where your local librarians are great resources. They can help residents find faith-based books, and the librarian can often locate these books in the large-print version or even in audio or video format.
There’s also a wide range of short devotional booklets that residents enjoy. We use CareNotes and Our Daily Bread at the nursing home where I volunteer. (I have no affiliation with these companies; I’m simply using them as examples of helpful resources.)
8. Actively listen
Some people don’t feel comfortable talking with residents about spiritual matters and choose to refer this to the nursing home chaplain. However, in most cases, I think you’ll find that residents simply want a listening ear.
They don’t expect you to have all the answers. Often, they only need someone who will listen to their fears and concerns without passing judgment.
9. Provide opportunities to help others
Throughout their lives, many residents have expressed their faith by helping other people. You can support them in continuing this tradition after they enter the nursing home.
Ask your residents to brainstorm activities they could do as a group or as individuals. If you need ideas to get started, check out my acts of kindness series that’s been going throughout 2019.
How do you help provide spiritual care for the residents in your senior living community? Please share in the comment section!
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