Guide To Ministering To Alzheimer S Patients And Their Families

Learn how to develop an effective Alzheimer’s ministry. The Guide to Ministering to Alzheimer's Patients and Their Families examines the importance of spirituality in dealing with the everyday challenges of this mysterious disease. Not a “how-to” manual with step-by-step instructions or tried and true formulas, this unique book instead examines the essential elements of ministering to dementia patients based on the first-hand accounts of family members living through pain and uncertainty. The book explores the stages of Alzheimer's, grief and guilt, available resources, and implications of spiritual care for patients and families. It is equally useful as a textbook for graduate and undergraduate work, a reference for study groups and seminars, and a primer for those with limited knowledge of the illness. Ministers sometimes neglect Alzheimer’s patients and their families because they feel they don’t know what to say or do even though they want to be obedient and faithful servants in this specialized ministry. The Guide to Ministering to Alzheimer’s Patients and Their Families communicates the thoughts, feelings, and needs of those affected by the disease to help ministers feel more comfortable, confident, and competent as they develop a theological understanding of God, Alzheimer’s patients, and their role in ministry. The book also provides models for ministry; role-play scenarios; a sample text for a care facility worship service, a care facility memorial service, and a funeral service for a Christian and a non-Christian as well as a sample clergy seminar program on Alzheimer’s ministry. The Guide to Ministering to Alzheimer’s Patients and Their Families examines: common characteristics of early, mild, moderate, and severe Alzheimer’s general information about Alzheimer’s ethical decision-making support group ministry respite care religious rites faith issues heredity hospitalization of Alzheimer’s patients long-distance caregiving working with other clergy The Guide to Ministering to Alzheimer’s Patients and Their Families also includes a special appendix of selections from the Scriptures. This book is a unique resource for all Christians who desire to minister to those affected by Alzheimer’s—especially pastors, priests, chaplains, pastoral counselors, church leaders, healthcare professionals, and seminary students.

Finding Sanctuary in the Midst of Alzheimer’s is currently the only Bible study on the market for dementia caregivers and the communities that serve them.

Understand the basic practical aspects of pastoral care—and make your visit to the sick meaningful for both of you! Training Guide for Visiting the Sick: More Than a Social Call is a useful handbook from a Christian perspective that provides the common sense and not-so-common answers to your questions on how best to minister to the sick. Drawing on his three decades of experience as a bedside hospital chaplain, the author explains appropriate and inappropriate behaviors and suggests things to say (or not to say) to truly make your next visit fruitful for you and the patient. More than simply an educational tool, this guidebook provides clergy and Christian laypeople with spiritual explanations and straightforward strategies to not only comfort the patient but also foster the sense of joy and accomplishment in oneself. Training Guide for Visiting the Sick: More Than a Social Call teaches you to glean a positive experience from a difficult task, the visit to the sick. The author shares his insights learned in his lengthy and distinguished career in this instructional guidebook. Honest and compassionate in its portrayal of the sick and dying, the book prepares the reader spiritually, emotionally, and even physically for the challenge of the visit while focusing on the distress and the needs of the patient. At times stating practical common sense, other times shining an insightful light on the less physical aspects of the visit, this educational handbook is invaluable for all who minister, or wish to minister, to the sick. Training Guide for Visiting the Sick: More Than a Social Call discusses: Jesus’ Eleventh Commandment—To Love One Another how to prepare yourself spiritually and emotionally for the visit the hospital patient’s world explanations of patients’ possible emotional, financial, family, and spiritual distress do’s and don’ts to note before and during a visit to the patient’s room the special needs of shut-ins ministering to the dying ministering to difficult patients ministering to Alzheimer’s or comatose patients Training Guide for Visiting the Sick: More Than a Social Call is a practical educational guide for pastors, supervisors in clinical pastoral education programs, CPE students, college and seminary students in courses in ministry to the sick, police and fire department chaplains, and family and friends of hospitalized, nursing home, and assisted living patients/residents.

'This is a book for those actively engaged in or interested in spiritual ministry to persons with dementia. Shamy draws heavily upon her experience, making this book very personal in its approach. I appreciated this style, feeling that the anecdotes anchor the book in the realm of what can be done rather than the theoretical world of the "maybes". The main concepts of the book, those of spirituality, retained through dementia, and personal worth should be acceptable to people of most world faiths.' - Leveson Newsletter 'This is an important book that has much to offer at a variety of different levels. It ranges from deep philosophical thinking to practical recommendations... a book that should be bought, digested and used frequently.' - Christian Council on Ageing 'Contains valuable material. The passages that attempt a definition of spirituality, and the stories about persons with dementia and how they have been helped to greater well-being, are relevant and excellently done. The spirit of Eileen Shamy shines out from these pages and carries its own message of passionate concern. One of the book's greatest strengths is its stories, which are unfailingly well-told and apposite.' - Ageing and Society Drawing on her years of experience as a clergywoman working with older people in care settings, Eileen Shamy discusses how pastoral work can help to develop holistic care for those suffering from dementia and related conditions - care which involves understanding of their spiritual as well as physical needs. This sensitive and informative book provides guidelines for pastoral visits to people with dementia, showing how to empathise with, understand and support individuals during a visit. Emphasising the importance of retaining dignity and freedom of choice for people with dementia, it also presents practical advice about memory cueing and provides frameworks for leading worship for those with dementia. A useful resource for a variety of people involved in pastoral care with older people, whether professionals or volunteers, this book provides inspiration from a respected author in the field of psychogeriatric care.

Spiritual Care for Persons with Dementia explores spirituality in those with dementia to enrich our understanding of the neurological and psychological aspects of hope, prayer, and the power of belief. You will discover how your ministry is vitally relevant to the clinical well-being and quality of life of people with Alzheimer's disease. Spiritual Care for Persons with Dementia provides you with a model spiritual care program for long-term facilities that supplies you with ideas you can implement in your own ministry. You will learn to avoid cognitive pastoral care method that can be hurtful to those suffering with dementia by using new approaches found in Spiritual Care for Persons with Dementia. This book provides you with suggestions about how to spiritually care for people with dementia. These important recommendations include: understanding the value of pastoral contact when ministering to people with a loss of cognitive functions and memory discovering the Progressively Lowered Stress Threshold psychosocial model (PLST) that can make important contributions by enhancing the quality of life for people with dementia providing pastoral care using nonverbal methods to overcome the barriers of cognitive dysfunction exploring a client's cognitive and emotional reality on a daily basis to determine how to best interact with him or her gaining insight into how a thorough analysis of the illness and personal religious history can assist in planning religious activities that provide comfort and solace for people with dementia and their families Spiritual Care for Persons with Dementia describes religious, theological, and psychodynamic perspectives that will help you to offer better spiritual care for people with dementia. Using your newly acquired skills from Spiritual Care for Persons with Dementia, you will be more effective when ministering to people with Alzheimer's Disease and to their families.

The most trusted guide for caring for persons with Alzheimer's disease, memory loss, and dementia disorders-now revised and updated with practical and legal advice and compassionate guidance for families and caregivers. When someone in your family suffers from Alzheimer's disease or other related memory loss diseases, both you and your loved one face immense challenges. For over thirty years, this book has been the trusted bible for families affected by dementia disorders. Now completely revised and updated, this guide features the latest information on the causes of dementia, managing the early stages of dementia, the prevention of dementia, and finding appropriate living arrangements for the person who has dementia when home care is no longer an option. You'll learn: The basic facts about dementia How to deal with problems arising in daily care-meals, exercise, personal hygiene, and safety How to cope with an impaired person's false ideas, suspicion, anger, and other mood problems How to get outside help from support groups, friends, and agencies Financial and legal issues you must address. Comprehensive and compassionate, The 36-Hour Day is the only guide you need to help your family through this difficult time.

Finding Sanctuary in the Midst of Alzheimer's is currently the only Bible study on the market for dementia caregivers and the communities that serve them.