New shape, same Spirit
ElderLink post-pandemic has changed shape. In May clubs and lunches gave way as new opportunities for the team to visit care homes flourished.
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ElderLink Manager, Catherine Tresham, talks about her recent experiences of working with older people who live with dementia.
‘Most of the care home residents we visit and some of those in their own private residences are living with dementia, so we have taken time over the past few months to research how best to relate with this group of people.
It can be upsetting for someone living with dementia to be asked a direct question, since they are likely to become embarrassed or frustrated about being unable to locate an answer. Instead we muse, ‘I wonder...’ or comment on something present that we can see to draw them into conversation. We have built up a resource bank of clear pictures which can be used to evoke memories and begin conversations.
Since we cannot rely heavily on communication through conversation, we try to stimulate the senses in a number of different ways throughout our sessions, including taste, feeling objects, and craft-making. For our current care home theme - the wise and foolish builders - we have sand to bury hands in and rocks to hold and paint, communicating the message of Jesus being a rock to those who trust in him.
Jennifer Bute says in her book Dementia from the Inside, “When facts are forgotten, feelings remain.” Whilst we are with older people, we want to engage their emotions through a warm welcome, laughter and music. We want to show special respect and kindness to our older friends so that they are left feeling positive about our visit and about the day.
We are thankful that, when a person loses their power to think and communicate clearly, they are still able to recall the words of hymns and the Lord’s Prayer. We can always trust that God upholds them in their spiritual life. It is a privilege to be able to speak spirit to spirit as we read the Bible, sing and pray, allowing God to continue his work in their lives.
It was David’s birthday when we delivered a service in his care home. He cried and thanked us for coming. “I remember you”, he said. I hope he was remembering the God that we embodied by the Spirit more than us as individuals. In the services older people are often moved to tears and we witness the Spirit at work in their lives.’
