SAGE
SOUTHWARK
SPIRITUALITY AND AGE
WORKING GROUP
RESOURCES
2015
Worship Materials
Worship for people with dementia – developing a sensitive worship service for people living with dementia (Methodist Church Homes)
PSALM – Project for Seniors and Lifelong Ministry
based at St Pancras Church, Euston Road, NW1 2BA
www.psalm.org.uk
LENT AND EASTER STUDY - 4 weeks
“A Journey for Seniors”
- money matters
- Strength at the point of weakness
- Following Peter
- Relinquishing and putting our hand into the hand of God
Workshop resources for example:-
- Preparing for Retirement
Exploring Selfhood through Art
- Living Alone in Later Life
Doing our Dying
Other Lent resources
A matter of Life and Death-by John V Taylor. (out of print) permission to photocopy it- 5 Studies on Letting Go
Scripture Union resources
Words of Peace
Words of Hope
Words of Faith (3 bible and prayer guides for people with dementia including CD with hymns and songs(
London City Mission
Fun with a Purpose-activities for older people- London City Mission.
Leveson centre www.levesoncentre.org.uk
for the study of Ageing, Spirituality and Social Policy
Aims of the Leveson Centre
At the Leveson Centre we bring together for study, reflection and the exchange of ideas and information those of all faiths - and none - who share our belief that older people should not be considered passive recipients of care, but as valued and cherished members of society who can inform and enrich the lives of others. In particular we are developing an understanding of spirituality as lived by older people and we aim to support them to express their spiritual awareness. We believe that Christian churches can make a distinctive contribution to the development of social policy and thus we respond and contribute to social policy initiatives from Government and elsewhere and challenge preconceptions. In all our work we try to bridge gaps between theory and practice as well as supporting and enabling older people themselves to influence policy makers, professionals, carers and churches.
Church Army - www.churcharmy.org.uk
Discovering Faith in Later Life
Assisting spirituality in residential establishments
“The Abbeyfield Kent Society and Parish-Based Care Homes in Gillingham”
to remember particular religious festivals of all faiths especially working with people with dementia
empower staff and other helpers to feel comfortable to talke about “end of life” issues. The death of a resident impacts not only on the living residents but also on the staff especially their closest carers, who have become emotionally attached to the deceased.
Church Army contact Edwin Bates,
tel 020 3181 0285
PARCHE – Pastoral Action in Residential Care Homes for the Elderly
268 Victoria Drive, Eastbourne. BN20 8QX
Telephone: 01323 438527
WEBSITE www.parche.org.uk
All those in residential care have suffered loss of various kinds. Many will have lost their spouse and all of them will have had to give up their home and most of their precious possessions. They have probably lost physical or mental faculties. These losses cause much pain and sadness. Therefore, in addition to providing physical care, it is vital that Homes provide spiritual care and healing for the residents.
Basic human spiritual needs are common to all people, but individuals have the right to choose how they are met. This generation of elderly people have mostly been brought up in the Christian faith, but ministers of other faiths can be contacted when requested.
If given the chance, elderly folk will often ask questions about death and the value of life. Good spiritual care increases the sense of self-worth, makes it easier for residents to fit happily into the communal life of the Home, and reduces the upset caused by the death of other residents.
PARCHE Information Pack:Price per pack £4.00 including postage.
Fifty Services of Christian Worship for use in Care Homes (and elsewhere)
Price per copy £6, including postage.
50 Bible Studies for Care Homes
Price per copy £6. including postage.
Compact Discs and DVDs
48 Favourite Hymns.
Containing the musical accompaniment to 48 hymns (50 tunes) plus large print words on a 4thCD. Packaged in a convenient 4 CD pack.
/ Price per set £11.00 including postage.
20 Christmas Carols.
Containing the musical accompaniment to 20 Christmas Carols plus large print words on a 2ndCD. Packaged in a convenient 2 CD pack.
Price per set £5.00 including postage.
Speech CD. “Daily thoughts from the Bible”.
Price per CD £3.00 including postage.
DVD. ”The Church in Care Homes”
An overview of the work of PARCHE (17 minutes)
Price each £5.00 including postage.
The Eden Alternative
The Eden Alternative is a organisation dedicated to improving the experience of ageing and disability around the world. It is a powerful tool for improving the quality of life for residents and for recapturing a meaningful work life for staff. The Eden Alternative is based on the core belief that ageing should be a continued stage of development and growth, rather than a period of decline
The Eden Alternative shows us how true companionship, the opportunity to give meaningful care to other living things and the variety and spontaneity that mark an enlivened environment can succeed where pills and therapies fail.
Our Mission: Improving the lives of the Elderly and their Carers by transforming the communities in which they live and work
Our Vision: The elimination of Loneliness, Helplessness and Boredom
Our Motto: It can be different
allowing older people time to talk and reflect on what really matters to them (in the past and the present) is part of spiritual care
June Burgess
Regional Coordinator for the Eden Alternative,, UK & Ireland
19 Woolley Drive
Bradford on Avon
Wiltshire BA15 1AU
Phone: 01225 309238
E-mail:
“RISE” – Reaching the Isolated Elderly within the challenge of an ageing society – founded in 2001 in Wandsworth
The Platt Christian Centre
22 Felsham Road,
London
SW15 1DA
tel: 020 8780 9330
Extracts from “RISE-ing to the Challenge”
The extended family is almost extinct and living in our global world means that sons and daughters can thousands of miles away during the lat years of life. Our values and ethos are based in the Christian faith and our aim to provide an alternative way of life to the lonely, disabled, distressed and isolated in society. By reaching and engaging isolated older people in a range of positive activities we have actually facilitated the rebuilding of social networks. By building relationships with others improved the mental well being of the older person which improved their physical well being providing a longer, fulfilled and happy life. 75% of clients in 2007 were aged between 85 and 95. Disability linked to isolation. Without family to rely on, a disabled older person can very quickly become isolated. When they are unable to leave the house it becomes harder to initiate or maintain friendships and social networks. Malnutrition becomes an issue as hindered mobility can affect an older person’ ability to buy and prepare fresh food. Health problems worsen as the opportunity to exercise and use one’s muscles is no longer readily available. RISE was beneficial because they organised trips once or twice a week to take older people to the pub, garden centres, cafes and the theatre. The aim was to empower the isolated elderly in the community to make friends, to relate to one another to make their own arrangements with each other to enable them to live more independently for longer. Arranged visiting programme, taking people to the hairdressers, GP appointments, shopping and by listening to older people.
Cycle of Isolation:
· Disability (Physical health problems)
· Unable to get out (age related problems)
· Breakdown of social networks
· Depression (Major life changes, bereavement, change of accommodation, financial pressure)
· Malnutrition (Degenerative mental health problems – dementia, Alzheimers)
· Poor health
RISE takes a holistic approach when caring for clients. RISE volunteers collect prescriptions from chemists, take clients to GP, hospital appointments, visiting them at home and in hospital, celebrate birthdays, provides Christian worship once a month and take people out on outings.
Pastoral Resources
Learning to Let Go – Making the transition into residential care
Penelope Wilcox ISBN 978-0-7459-5398-4
A guide to practical and emotional preparation for older people and their families.
Dying with Jesus – Meditations for those who are terminally ill, families and caregivers
Angela M Hibbard – The Liturgical Press
www.litpress.org
Growing a Caring Church – Practical Guidelines for pastoral care
Wendy Billington – BRF
ISBN 978-1-84101-799-0
The challenges of life changes, bereavement, crisis, ministry to older people
The Gift of years – Growing older Gracefully
Joan Chittister
ISBN 13: 978 0 232 52750 4
Between remembering and forgetting
The spiritual dimensions of dementia
James Woodward
The Warmth of the Heart
Ageing without growing old
Marie de Hennezel
ISBN 978 1 905744 84 8
Going on Growing report
www,churchofengland.org/media/1374769/goinggrowing.pdf
General Books
Older People and the Church
Albert Jewell
Methodist Pubishing House
ISBN 1-85852-206-4
A study of the role of older people n Churches
Like Spring without flowers - why older women and the church need each other
Janet Eldred
Methodist Homes
ISBN 1-902452-14-3
community, connection and caring, stories of women in the church
Valuing Old Age- James Wood ward -SPCK
Between Remembering and Forgeting- J Woodward – SPCK
The Bereavement Pack – CWR www.cwr.org.ukby Wendy Bray
1 x 8-page carer's guide and 5 x 32-page paperback booklets, 170x120mm in a sturdy polypropylene case
Strengthen and comfort those recently bereaved
The Path Not Chosen Bereavement Pack will equip pastors, ministers, chaplains, friends and carers to strengthen and comfort those recently bereaved.
The pack contains:
· One copy of A Friend for the Journey, a short guide to help those visiting or caring for the bereaved to know what to do, what to say and what will help most
· Five copies of The Path Not Chosen, an attractive booklet that can be given to those just bereaved, offering comfort as they make their way along the grief pathway with hope and dignity.
The Alzheimer's Society have user friendly information booklets and also has a helpline run by people affected by dementia.
A Guide to the Spiritual Dimension of care for people with Alzheimers Disease and Related Dementia
Eileen Shamy
ISBN 1-843-0-129-7
caring for the carers, worship and Liturgy
Could it be dementia? By Louise Morse and Roger Hutching
ISBN 978 0 8254 6170 5
Spiritual and Religious Care for those with dementia by Patricia Higgins and Richard Allen
Methodist Homes Association
Memory's Tomb – Dementia and Theology for Holy Saturday
Visiting people with dementia
Ageing Disability and Spirituality by Elizabeth Mackinley
ISBN 978 84310 584 8
Alzheimers at your fingertips by Haary Caton, Dr Nori Graham and Dr James Warner
ISBN 1 872362 71
Fun with a Purpose by Sylvia Farrant – London City Mission
Between Remembering and Forgetting
The Spiritual dimension of dementia by James Woodward
ISBN 9 7801 4411 3114
Person First, Dementia Second
BUPA Training course (University of Bradford)
Thank you for the Memory
Your guide to Memory and how it works ( Alzheimer's Society)
Coping with Change
Mary Jo Radcliffe
tel 020 7223 2917
Organisations
The Outlook Trust – www.outlook-trust.org.uk
evangelism to reach the over 55s
Holiday at Home – the equivalent for older people to holiday clubs for children with fellowship, teaching and social activities
Age Exchange in Blackheath Village resources for reminiscence
SAGE
Compiled by Linda Craven on behalf of the Southwark Spirituality and Age Working Group
March 2015