# Nursing Home Ministries (Elderly Care)



## Blue Tick (Oct 22, 2008)

Is anyone or has anyone been involved in Nursing Home ministries? How could one be established? What type of format would you use to bring the gospel to the sick and old?


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## Theognome (Oct 22, 2008)

We did a bit of it back at Providence OPC. It consisted of a hymn sing, a short scripture reading and teaching, followed by prayer. Afterwards, we would spend some time (most of the time, actually), visiting with the residents.

Personally, I did a lot of hugging on these trips- especially with the bedridden. Many of them were quite deaf, but all could understand a warm, loving embrace.

Theognome


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## Herald (Oct 22, 2008)

I call on nursing home and assisted living centers. I'm a big tough guy but I melt like butter when I see the elderly, some left in these places to live out their days without contact from family.


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## DMcFadden (Oct 22, 2008)

John,

I'd be happy to offer some advice (I am responsible for 350 seniors in four levels of care, 99 in skilled nursing), but first a few questions . . .

* What kind of facility are you looking to work with . . . CCRC? IL, AL, SNF, board and care?
* Are you planning on ministering to a mixed group with cognitively impaired in the population? Are they mostly frail elderly? Active seniors?
* What kind of "program" are you looking to offer and how often?


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## larryjf (Oct 22, 2008)

Talk to the activities coordinator or some other such person at the nursing home. They will be able to help you coordinate. The nursing home in our area has about 4 churches minister to it, so each takes one Sunday out of the month.

We do hymns (familiar ones because of eyesight problems), prayer, Scripture, and exhortation. The Scripture and exhortation we try to keep at around 15 minutes. If it's too long you will lose many of them. Afterwords personally praying for some who want have particular issues they want prayer for. Then some of us would stay and visit with them for a bit.


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## Blue Tick (Oct 22, 2008)

DMcFadden said:


> John,
> 
> I'd be happy to offer some advice (I am responsible for 350 seniors in four levels of care, 99 in skilled nursing), but first a few questions . . .
> 
> ...



Dennis, 

Thank you for the brief introduction to elderly care. You've given me some things to think about. Specifically, what group of people we would like to meet with. Probably, my initial thought would be with people who are active seniors who are on their way to becoming frail or dependent on assisted care. Kind of in a transition period of life.

Pardon my ignorance. But what does CCRC, IL, AL, SNF, board and care mean?

My original thought was to start something monthly in my area. I like the idea of singing a hymn, prayer, scripture reading, and short exhortation.


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## Galatians220 (Oct 23, 2008)

*Yes!* I'm also interested in this! My husband and I have been talking about a certain assisted living facility in our neighborhood and how we might get in there to do some first friendship evangelism, and then maybe start some Bible studies. Would this possibly be a way to go? We have no idea how to do this.

I, too, have a heart for older people, to the extent that I find it hard to drag myself away from them when I happen to meet one who's willing to chat for awhile - _and tell me some things I wouldn't otherwise know. _ I would want to bless them as I'm always blessed by them.

A few years ago, my brother's mother-in-law invited me to a women's Bible study at her assisted living place - and a livelier, more impassioned Bible study, I've never been in. *It was wonderful. *

I will be watching this thread avidly & I hope it gets a ton of good posts!

Margaret


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## jaybird0827 (Oct 23, 2008)

Our congregation has an outreach to a local nursing home on the first Lord's Day of every month, and we are in rotation with several other congregations in the area that minister on the other Sundays.

The ministry includes conducting residents to and from the hall where the services are held, and visitation with them before and after services.

Our service at the last approximately half-an-hour and is an abbreviated form of our congregational worship:

Prayer
Psalm
Scripture Reading
Sermon
Prayer
Psalm
Benediction

The Psalms we rotate among 5-6 selections including 23 and 100, familiar to pretty much everyone. We set the other selections to familiar tunes like St. Peter, St. Anne, St. Magnus, likely to be known by residents coming from various church backgrounds.


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## Blue Tick (Oct 23, 2008)

Thank you Jay!


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## Ivan (Oct 23, 2008)

When I was in college our church was in a rotation at a nursing home. We went once a month and basically took the same approach as Jay's church. We tried to spend a lot of time after the service visiting with the residents.

BTW, this was the first opportunity I had to preach on a regular basis.


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## Kim G (Oct 23, 2008)

For two years I helped out at two different nursing home ministries, one every Saturday morning, and one every Sunday morning. Our group would go from room to room and wheel the residents into the meeting room. I would play the piano for the song service, then someone would give a short Scripture lesson and prayer. 

I think the most important thing is the fellowship with the people in the nursing home afterwards. We would pray with them, talk to them about their week, etc. We would also visit with the bedridden and sing and pray with them.

I have a very bittersweet memory at a nursing home. One Saturday, after our meeting, one of the nurses came to my group and said an elderly woman had just passed away, and the nurse thought we could go pray with the woman's son and daughter, who were in her room. At 20 years old, that was the first time I had ever seen a dead person. I could tell that the body was just a shell. It made quite an impression on me. We stood around the bedside and prayed with her family and sang a few songs that they requested. I won't soon forget that experience.


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## Ivan (Oct 23, 2008)

Kim G said:


> I have a very bittersweet memory at a nursing home. One Saturday, after our meeting, one of the nurses came to my group and said an elderly woman had just passed away, and the nurse thought we could go pray with the woman's son and daughter, who were in her room. At 20 years old, that was the first time I had ever seen a dead person. I could tell that the body was just a shell. It made quite an impression on me. We stood around the bedside and prayed with her family and sang a few songs that they requested. I won't soon forget that experience.



Life changing experience for me. In my second pastorate I was with a number of my church members as they died. Quite an experience when they are dying and we say we will see each other again in the next life. I'll never forget those moments.


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## DMcFadden (Oct 23, 2008)

Blue Tick said:


> Pardon my ignorance. But what does CCRC, IL, AL, SNF, board and care mean?
> 
> My original thought was to start something monthly in my area. I like the idea of singing a hymn, prayer, scripture reading, and short exhortation.



CCRC = continuing care retirement community. Our community has pastors and residents (many who are retired pastors) who do services with our cognitively impaired residents, Bible studies and worship services with others in our skilled nursing population (SNF = skilled nursing facility), and full services with 100-150 attending on Sunday evenings (hymns, prayers, and a full sermon).

IL = independent living (aka active seniors)
AL = assisted living (= those with several ADL deficits = activities of daily living are things like grooming, bathing, toileting, self feeding, etc.)
Board and Care = places where seniors are "taken care of" in a residential setting, often a converted home where 6-10 seniors reside.

If you are in a skilled nursing context, you will be limited in how much you can/should do. If you have cognitively impaired folks present (50% of everyone 85+ have some form of dementia), then a long sermon is OUT. They prefer familiar hymns and simple, direct, heart felt Bible-based messages. Much of the value is in a ministry of presence where you hold hands, provide company, and listen to them talk.

If you are in an AL or IL context (e.g., in a CCRC), you may be able to do a full church service style meeting.

Again, follow the advice of those who suggested contacting the activities director of the community. They are almost always happy to accommodate visitors willing to spend time with residents. Lonely people love to have company, particularly when it is more than a perfunctory "holiday" visit. The best such ministries are at least monthly in frequency.

God bless you for wanting to make a difference in the lives of the elderly!


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## Blue Tick (Oct 24, 2008)

Thank you for the information Dennis.

Blessings.


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## Iconoclast (Oct 24, 2008)

There are large print song books that can be purchased.
If you have them have the church members assist the residents to find the pages/ sometimes their hands are arthritic and they have trouble turning the pages or even holding the books.

Follow a format similar to your church worship service,but streamline it a bit, if you want the residents to be alert for the word being ministered.

As time allows, or periodically allow for a question and answer type format.
Many times Roman Catholic, or Jewish residents have not heard many truths that we take for granted. If one person asks a question ,several others have the same question but were afraid to ask it.
If you allow for questions make sure someone is able to give an answer that is Christ centered, yet not "unnecessarily" offensive. ie, better to speak about the blood of Christ, than your view that the Pope is the antichrist.

In preparation for the message be aware also that staff members and sometimes family members are present,and can lead to some follow up bible study, or an invitation to a worship service.


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