Loneliness in Care Homes
It might surprise you to know that older people living in care homes are twice as likely to feel severely lonely as older people living in the community. Often they are out of sight and therefore out of mind - overlooked and ignored. The church has an amazing opportunity to display the love of God to people living in care homes, enabling them to feel valued, loved and connected.
How can the church reach out to care home residents?
|
Often churches have an existing link with care homes, whether through running services, visiting church members who are living there, or members of their congregations who work in a care home. These links can be built upon to enable a wider outreach to care home residents, staff and the relatives of those living in a care home.
|
|
During the pandemic, visiting in care homes has been severely restricted. Hopefully we will see these restrictions lift early in 2021, but it may take a while. In the mean time there is much you can do to develop connections with your local care home, even if there are no existing links.
1. Pray
Start by praying for the staff, residents and relatives of your local care home, and allow God to grow his love in your heart for all those connected with the care home.
2. Thank the staff
The pandemic has been particularly hard on care home staff, with many fearing passing on the virus unwittingly to their vulnerable residents. Let the staff at your local care home know that you appreciate all they have been doing to care for and protect vulnerable residents. Here's a few ideas of how you could do that:
3. Connect with Residents
There may be many residents who have no family or friends to visit them - they are completely alone. Whilst visiting is not allowed during the pandemic there are other ways to connect with residents:
4. Support Relatives
The pandemic has been a devastating emotional roller coaster for the relatives of care home residents, with many unable to visit their loved one for months on end, and having to maintain social distancing and wear PPE when visits are allowed. This is particularly hard for residents with dementia who may not have the capacity to understand what is happening. Relatives may need support more than ever.
As a church you may not have direct contact with relatives as the care home can not give you their contact details. But there are still things you can do:
1. Pray
Start by praying for the staff, residents and relatives of your local care home, and allow God to grow his love in your heart for all those connected with the care home.
2. Thank the staff
The pandemic has been particularly hard on care home staff, with many fearing passing on the virus unwittingly to their vulnerable residents. Let the staff at your local care home know that you appreciate all they have been doing to care for and protect vulnerable residents. Here's a few ideas of how you could do that:
- Send a thank you card with a box of chocolates or flowers.
- Find out how many staff work at the care home and create individual gift bags for each staff member to thank them and let them know that you are praying for them. These could include a thank you note, lip balm, hand cream, chocolate, a scented candle.
- Ask the manager if there are other ways the church could support staff - they may have specific needs that you are able to meet.
3. Connect with Residents
There may be many residents who have no family or friends to visit them - they are completely alone. Whilst visiting is not allowed during the pandemic there are other ways to connect with residents:
- Write letters to speficic residents that the staff identify would benefit from this.
- Get children to draw pictures
- Use technology to connect, such as zoom, or Alexa. This may not be appropriate for all residents but there are certainly some who would benefit from this. You can even play online games with residents who have capacity, such as Words with Friends.
- When restrictions have lifted consider regular visiting - there is nothing like face to face contact and appropiate therapeutic touch, such as the gentle squeeze of a hand, to help people know they are not alone. One resident had tears in his eyes as he explained to a volunteer visitor that the simple hand massage she gave him every week was the only touch he ever had. Care Home Friends is a national initiative that helps churches mobilise and train volunteers to visit care home residents.
4. Support Relatives
The pandemic has been a devastating emotional roller coaster for the relatives of care home residents, with many unable to visit their loved one for months on end, and having to maintain social distancing and wear PPE when visits are allowed. This is particularly hard for residents with dementia who may not have the capacity to understand what is happening. Relatives may need support more than ever.
As a church you may not have direct contact with relatives as the care home can not give you their contact details. But there are still things you can do:
- Ask the manager to send an email to relatives offering pastoral support from the church.
- As care homes open up again you could create a little card or flier that is available in the reception area giving contact details of the church and any pastoral support you are able to offer.
- Often there are relative meetings at the care home - although these may be on hold or on zoom during the pandemic. You could chat with the manager about attending one of these meetings to introduce the church and what you are able to offer.
|
|
|
|
|
|
© COPYRIGHT 2021. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
|