A Guide for Congregations and Parishes

• Say a prayer during each service, not only for those who are sick, but also for their family caregivers. Family caregivers tend to be invisible and their contributions minimized or ignored. Consider disseminating a prayer chain to those who pray independently at home.
• Be a truly "Caring Congregation" Survey the caregiving families in your community. Identify the help they need most - transportation, respite, help with insurance or other paperwork, household support, regular meals, guidance on end-of-life issues. Organize a volunteer network to respond to the needs most frequently cited.
• Establish a family caregiver support network or buddy system. Introduce caregivers in the congregation to one another. Provide them with the opportunity to support and learn from each other by giving them meeting space within the church or synagogue or, putting together a caregiver phone or email list. Provide a trained leader for the group or a pastoral counselor.
• Sponsor a healthcare equipment loan program. Home care equipment can be expensive. Some congregants/parishioners may have canes, wheelchairs, commodes, etc. they no longer need and will be happy to loan or donate to others. Publish a list of available equipment and who to contact in order to get it.
• Honor your family caregivers with an event that recognizes their contributions and provides them with the opportunity to have some fun-a special dinner, an outing, etc. and be sure to include respite care as part of the event for those who need it.
• Provide educational programs and/or materials on end-of-life planning. Death and dying may be natural parts of life, but they are not issues most of us are comfortable talking about. You can help your congregants/parishioners and their families by helping them prepare for the end of life by:
  
      - Providing information on powers of attorney, living wills and other advance       directives.
  
      - Developing a list of area professionals (elder care attorneys, geriatric care       managers, financial planners,) who can help families in time of need.
  
      - Encouraging families to create a living legacy with a scrapbook or video that       captures the memories and stories of elders before it is too late.
  
  
• Put together readings from your faith that speaks to caregiver issues and needs. Present them as a gift to caregivers in your congregations so they will always have spiritual support when they need it.
• Compile a list of local resources so that families in caregiving situations will know where to turn for help. The list can include government agencies, local home care agencies, medical equipment suppliers, hospices, assisted living communities, nearby senior centers and adult day care facilities, taxi services that have wheelchair accessible vehicles, pharmacies that deliver and more.
• Establish a congregational health ministry (parish nurse program) to minister to the healthcare needs of your community. As part of the program, recruit volunteers from the congregation to serve as support caregivers who are willing to provide respite for caregivers and a friendly visit to care recipients. Consider organizing all of the suggestions above under the auspices of the health ministry for a truly comprehensive program.