healthcare

New Book on Care Ministry

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“I gained a whole new appreciation for what new beginnings meant when my wife and I chose to retire last year. Our lives had radically changed direction the year before when Nancy had survived major cancer surgery; which was followed by six chemotherapy treatments over nine months. Then as summer rolled around while she was getting her strength back, things seemed to come into place for us to move to Florida.

At first we eagerly raced ahead towards what seemed an exciting though uncertain future. Driving away from chilly, rainy Pennsylvania, we both felt like shouting, “Wahoo we’re going to Florida! No more ice! No more snow!

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No more dark colorless months of barren and cold landscapes!!” But somewhere in the middle of making new friends, finding new doctors and settling into a new church we realized that the challenge of beginning again was much bigger than we thought it would be.

For me, one vital part of starting over for me was to begin to volunteer in a nursing home ministry…” (From New Beginnings in Care Ministry)

New Beginings

It’s been quite a while since I released anything new on Nursing Home Ministry. The book “New Beginnings in Care Ministry” is a reflection of my coming to see a wider view of Long Term Care ministry in my own ministry restart. Care ministry looks beyond simply the traditional nursing home setting into the lives and needs of special needs children, residents in special needs assisted living as well as those in memory care. If your life has been touched by long term care, through a family member, your job or as a volunteer this collection of stories and insights with lots of photos are just for you. It is my prayer they will both be a practical as well as a spiritual be a blessing in your own personal journey. This is available in both softcover and E-book formats through Amazon.

New Beginnings in Care Ministry

Attending Church Helps Seniors

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I want to thank Jason Lewis for contributing this piece reflecting his personal experiences in caring for his mom. As a volunteer chaplain at a nursing facility for over  25 years I am delighted to be joined by someone else who does what they can, where they are to serve those in that vulnerable chapter of their life.

Jason Lewis is a personal trainer, who specializes in helping senior citizens stay fit and healthy. He is also the caregiver for his elderly mom. He enjoys sharing his fitness knowledge on his website. For many seniors, finding ways to stay social and active can be tough, especially after suffering the loss of a spouse or during a period of recovery from substance abuse. Many seniors battle loneliness, depression, and anxiety but don’t want to burden their families with it, leaving it untreated until it becomes even worse. Others are dealing with physical issues and don’t have close family members who can help out.

Going to church and belonging to a congregation can help a senior make new friends, form a circle of support, and stay active. Churches offer a place of belonging, where people of all ages can go when they need help or want to help others. In fact, working within a community and being engaged is one of the best ways a senior can battle depression.

It’s an unfortunate truth that many seniors become dependent on substances, either because they are trying to numb emotional pain or because they’ve formed an addiction to pain medication. Belonging to a church can help them learn how to be mindful, a technique used in various forms of therapy to help individuals who are having a hard time coping with emotional or physical pain. It can be difficult to make ourselves focus on the here and now, especially if we’re going through a transition as life-changing as addiction recovery. But taking even a few minutes a day to be mindful of all we have in the present moment – and especially all we have to be grateful for – can help us feel more at peace with ourselves, our surroundings, and our circumstances.

Talk to your senior loved one about the benefits of joining a church, and click here to learn more about substance abuse recovery.