%PDF-1.7 1 0 obj << /Type /Catalog /Outlines 2 0 R /Pages 3 0 R >> endobj 2 0 obj << /Type /Outlines /Count 0 >> endobj 3 0 obj << /Type /Pages /Kids [6 0 R 16 0 R ] /Count 2 /Resources << /ProcSet 4 0 R /Font << /F1 8 0 R /F2 9 0 R /F3 10 0 R /F4 11 0 R /F5 12 0 R >> /ExtGState << /GS1 14 0 R /GS2 15 0 R /GS3 18 0 R /GS4 19 0 R >> >> /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] >> endobj 4 0 obj [/PDF /Text ] endobj 5 0 obj << /Producer (dompdf 1.0.2 + CPDF) /CreationDate (D:20250715000439+00'00') /ModDate (D:20250715000439+00'00') >> endobj 6 0 obj << /Type /Page /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] /Parent 3 0 R /Contents 7 0 R >> endobj 7 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 2514 >> stream xYM۸ϯq]5!o_\dT\SC$PFQ~F9KrxݯtY$wHZ Mfeݑ }E.㖐E#'gvY*q/b ?UȉM,͜lL<1ޤ,|r^5UKm,*HA\VOѯͳZ5}V^avLrizy6mW0ͩ_ǀ?u3EN-yώ+׿S a丗Ǒź'IVBs"=6|lgy /l: /众DqvvXb;r0nږ&hߌ|Ra/s1o"2qYx"UÑ/ނI%Su#侈E*;Ď({AF9 |udu Sk;yXt!g=eٰwN,r+o5J"@G,{>|qdK f)L L 獥[/4sF9I,l|<|}sKǣ,k rJz3ڧByp-,69s!{,ɀ*XxD=7p*ً Ю%KkTPcO:Rq>d::c7&Ȱ#,'/*IwlAe Twξj\ie*> Eixj,y\R_#*6W:W]'7/it(8DN_ `pFuє:rY#Dk+D=(e*ĄSÆ^v+sgD盺:+{ aZȬn+-v}Ģ!6pSYq5;εثXl6">o"&jJ;`&^ xfެ."^xBF5h݈T;jyЌj*hX}Dse}{!v+ݼܭ ڭӴ7EsfM%UuzFDb'U]CD[jO,DS+bݼu[m][j8-̛pVi@YtXy݈X7,gv9vW"kTb{2⨲ɴ*ۇ< bSlx)< U(Mr+ݼu[mi-MnwKD>LC""8B&4!XEحHvrykw;Zl׎E2HQ1xzPs]_ֺ鰼C^NHO|@,Jd &SsUz .n1eT vr _hZ7GS:*ipE"tDLA"GW;A TNeD^5]\!@mjpWLJ+Z4U< ='$Ph,ryMwOT7WU`v6 ~b* Qd%+RflTm8r[ZigSz(Iթz퇙0WL)B5ۭNz!ϜhQB=Ug`%]9 <暷MW 5j(Ώ\gYo[AʾT4HPZTb5]Wn3fO8}ѲP8 :7˳i (6DQpuQQHzi([?B~ZV;xsvR} %[? gm> endobj 9 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F2 /BaseFont /Times-Bold /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 10 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F3 /BaseFont /Times-Roman /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 11 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F4 /BaseFont /Helvetica-Bold /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 12 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F5 /BaseFont /Helvetica-Oblique /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 13 0 obj [6 0 R /Fit] endobj 14 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /CA 0.3 >> endobj 15 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /ca 0.3 >> endobj 16 0 obj << /Type /Page /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] /Parent 3 0 R /Contents 17 0 R >> endobj 17 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 1229 >> stream xV6+JDI%Anm@ED[D$%%/d9ѱ3"o޼!{Nv1ucĢ(9m8?e+/,͓$fK̸`f~vYtd܇ML,^%] b l~:,?b{-beLj>g>YMߘk+:ݽ{!qĒ>ĄBf4UCР ih$Y+m轾1.UBYkU-UD5.'e`}_hAXUQ/emI{?Q5a|t3EaB_݊AUԉ+KBSDߢA 97gѲ%5%t%r2E"RȗSꉙ[yqW-r9'FAAHB=II Eb9t9x1tê':)ZKrSZjER+;uhZ\4NU_c Tˋv~.m6} 7@IIFDYo5>FgPuT_[m!Czȣ4Fd)h͉ (I؞o;Oа\T%={=ٸHu}P 3*U%A~sZHsw%jNLQLnsMUΘE|K`Y2YW4 YpxِẂQf^2z7%՝7IA5*͛;ԹIr([/ 9tP#jT )鮸 ~/H}^8 WwČ|Ί ӕt@TBլ;Qje{9ōpB?Zl!ϑ$>vE>&OowfRPhtI=I@?yGiT Q=#yn4K7-a~ԂVZ_A-:ګ{> endobj 19 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /ca 1 >> endobj xref 0 20 0000000000 65535 f 0000000009 00000 n 0000000074 00000 n 0000000120 00000 n 0000000390 00000 n 0000000419 00000 n 0000000568 00000 n 0000000671 00000 n 0000003258 00000 n 0000003365 00000 n 0000003473 00000 n 0000003583 00000 n 0000003696 00000 n 0000003812 00000 n 0000003841 00000 n 0000003900 00000 n 0000003959 00000 n 0000004064 00000 n 0000005367 00000 n 0000005424 00000 n trailer << /Size 20 /Root 1 0 R /Info 5 0 R /ID[] >> startxref 5481 %%EOF Simple ways to provide emotional and spiritual care for seniors | Caring Magazine

Vol. #28

Grace Uncovered

Read Issue

Latest Impact StoriesView All

Popular Topics

PopularView All

senior with mask on in front of senior center

Simple ways to provide emotional and spiritual care for seniors

March 25, 2020
3 minute read
Total
0
Shares
0
0
0
Listen to this article

By Patrick Lyons, Captain – 

I was on a phone call with about 20 other individuals from various agencies who are working to mitigate the effects of aloneness on seniors. Most of these effects involved access to basic needs and services: food, medication and doctor visits. Then there was the big one that was a concern for seniors before they were requested to self-isolate, and in some locations, shelter-in-place: isolation.

According to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), loneliness and isolation can be as damaging to a person’s health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. The hardest hit? Seniors, 28 percent of whom lived alone at the time of the last census. Sadly, 43 percent of seniors regularly felt lonely.

It is not likely that this percentage has improved with the arrival of Covid-19.

In our meeting today, they recommended asking seniors the following questions when agencies interact with a senior over the phone:

  • How are you feeling?
  • Do you have any concerns?
  • What are you doing to take care of yourself?
  • Do you have food access needs?
  • Do you have prescription/medication needs?
  • Do you have opportunities to interact with others? (Continued interaction, not sporadic)

Other things that came out of the meeting were perceptions that many seniors have about the isolation/shelter-in-place protocols. Some seniors are too scared to leave home, even for essential needs. A few believe they are not allowed to leave their homes. One perception that does meet reality? Many feel isolated and lonely. 

The Alliance on Aging reported that it is having difficulty keeping up with wellness checks because they cannot get off the phone with the people they are checking on.

My encouragement to you today is to remember seniors. It does not mean you have to ask the above six questions of every phone call, but there are some things we can do. Here are some options:

  • Divide the list of numbers for senior program participants among staff and trusted volunteers, and call them twice a week.
  • Ask a church member to be the senior Covid-19 liaison who will contact church members to make sure their basic needs are being cared for. If there is an isolation concern, maybe connect them with a phone-pal.
  • We will have one of our staff members create activity packets to go with the senior meals we distribute each day. These will include a devotion, crosswords, word searches, and other activities to help stimulate their minds. The packet will also include a referral sheet for seniors who may need services we cannot provide.

Realistically, most of us cannot do everything to meet the needs of seniors in our communities at this time. Many at-risk populations need our services right now. But we can do something.

Prayer: Father, I have had many seniors in my life who have invested in me and encouraged me to be the best version of myself. Many are gone, but there are some still with me. Help me to honor them by ministering to their peers during this challenging time. Give me guidance so that I might do something that alleviates loneliness and a lack of support among seniors in my church and community. In Jesus’ Name! Amen.

Download this page as a PDF

Comments 2

  1. With all of us on some type of Stay home-Stay Safe to prevent the spread of this virus. We all should be checking on each other by phone.

  2. With all of us on some type of Stay home-Stay Safe to prevent the spread of this virus. We all should be checking on each other by phone.

Comments are closed.

You May Also Like