Any parish beginning to establish a
ministry for caregivers would be wise to keep three basic points in
mind.
First, parish members who are
caregivers may not use that word to describe themselves because they
truly don’t see themselves as that. It’s not uncommon for a
caregiver to define his or her role as "just helping Mom [or Dad]
with a few things." What this means is that when the parish
announces a new service or program for caregivers, the caregivers
themselves may not realize it applies to them and that it is being
offered to help them.
Second, because caregivers
have extremely busy schedules and little or no energy to spare, it can
be difficult for them to attend a meeting or other event, even one
designed just for them.
And third, because caregiving
is very personal and no caregiver is in it for the glory, the caregivers
in a parish may be uncomfortable with any form of public recognition.
With those points in mind, here are
some suggestions for starting or enhancing a ministry to caregivers in a
parish:
•Get and read a copy of the United States Conference
of Catholic Bishops’ "Blessings of
Age." Purchase copies
and make them available for parishioners.
•Survey the parish to identify the needs of the
caregivers in your community.
•Collect and distribute information from the local
Area Agency on Aging, diocesan programs, the Internet, and other
sources.
•Start a caregiver support group.
•Begin a program that offers respite care to
caregivers.
•Talk about caregivers in homilies and remember them
in the prayers of the faithful at Mass.
•Provide caregiver information on a regular basis in
the parish bulletin and school publications and on the parish Web
site.
•Instruct parish pastoral ministers making visits to
the homebound to also offer assistance and encouragement to their
caregivers.
•Host a "Caregivers Day" to honor your
families’ caregivers with an event that recognizes their
contributions, offers them information to help them in their tasks,
and gives them an opportunity to meet and pray with fellow caregivers.
(Include respite care as part of the event for those who need it.)
•Get parish groups—such as the Knights of Columbus—interested
in finding ways to help.
•Sponsor educational presentations for pastoral
ministers and parish staff to increase their awareness of a caregiver’s
roles and needs.
•Set up a prayer chain so that fellow parishioners
can remember the needs of caregivers in their prayers.