Nursing Homes

Caregiver Devotional – New Edition

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First a little background on me might help in that I have spent over the last twenty-five years ministering every week in six different long term care facilities. I learned that it was not only the residents but also their families and loved ones who struggled to understand how to make it through day by day. So originally I wrote this short devotional book to come alongside and let them know that they were not alone and that God had not forgotten about them.

Grace for the Road image

Then when the Corona virus crisis intensified,  I went back to the manuscript and have added more readings specific to the new reality as well as a new introduction. If you are a caregiver yourself or know someone who needs a gentle reminder of God’s grace and hope this book may be just for you. It is also available in large print. You could either click through on the link or find it for yourself on Amazon.

Large Print Edition

Standard Edition

 

Music for Memory Care

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Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! Luke 12:24

In spite of my having memorized this verse; I confess I have been worrying. It’s as if that scripture has lived on the shelf for so long that it has passed its expiration date. Or maybe I worry because we have now passed the fifth week of complete shutdown from being able to sing for my friends in the nursing homes where I visited each week. I know that the staff is doing their best to care for them but I am especially concerned for those in memory care. I think about how they not only have not had a chance for my music but they also have lost contact with family, friends and not even a priest or pastor is allowed in to hold their hands if they pass away.

But in my quiet moments of private worship God reminds me that He would never leave them alone. There is no virus, no shutdown, no sickness or even death that can separate any of us from His love! He has promised to be with us and God’s promises are never go out of date!

If you know someone who is shut in during this time please consider sharing my simple videos. This one includes; Jesus Loves Me; Trust and Obey and Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus. Most of my people not only know these but they love to sing along! I have included captions so they can follow easily. God bless and have a blessed week-end everybody!

 

Listening Long Complaining short

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Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.        James 1:19 ESV

There has been quite a lot of debate lately about the reasons behind and the need for continued social distancing. The arguments I have heard recently revolve around keeping these regulations in place only within “nursing homes” as if that were a singular place. First let me remind everyone that we as a nation including both conservative and liberal lawmakers entered into the social distancing effort in order to buy precious time for researchers to come up with a treatment for this new disease. Second I find it frustrating that when people say just quarantine the residents of nursing homes they don’t seem to understand the complexity of that community and the remaining rights of its residents. Yes; many people do live in skilled nursing homes but just as often they are in assisted or independent living facilities. These residents retain the same rights as people living in any apartment building in town. They rent a suite, receive laundry and food services, but; they have not signed away any rights to make decisions about travel, visiting or shopping any more than anyone else. The staff likewise does not simply consist of doctors, nurses and therapists. There are all kinds of other people there such as hairdressers, fitness instructors, secretaries, and social event coordinators. Hearing loud complaining about the lack of PPE provided to the staff at the beginning of our current crisis misses the point that they are not designed to be hospitals and most have been frantically shifting gears as fast as they can to adjust to the new situation.

photo of person wearing surgical mask

Photo by EVG photos on Pexels.com

So what to do? People need to return to work and the economy is hurting however; finding someone to blame isn’t the answer. Dr. Anthony Fauci has become a popular target for some people’s frustrations as we slowly grind towards the end of a month of semi-quarantine. But Dr. Fauci’s 16 hour work days and near angelic patience with reporters is completely forgotten in this new blame game. Remember that finding problems is the easy part. Finding answers will take time and means making our listening long and our complaining short even when or maybe especially where we disagree. Over all of us and through each moment of our journey we must trust that God. He is with us and He will see us through all the way to the end of this journey!