Resources for churches, congregations and other spiritual groups:
- Kathy Berry, When Words Fail: Practical Ministry to People with Dementia and Their Caregivers, Centennial CO: FaithHappening Publishers (2016). Kathy is chaplain at Westminster Canterbury Richmond Retirement Community, Richmond VA and has conducted clergy trainings on dementia for over 300 clergy. Her DVD and free study guide are also available.
- Older adult ministry resources from Virginia Theological Seminary: Center for Ministry of Teaching.
- Dementia Friendly Worship ed. by Lynda Everman, 2019
- Local resources for free dementia trainings: Alzheimer's Association and other senior groups (click for the DC/MD/VA area)
- Free online trainings by Teepa Snow
- Our powerpoint Introduction to Dementia and Dementia-Friendly Church
- Our powerpoint Spiritual Care for People with Dementia
- Our poster Using Science, Theology and Spirituality to Transform Attitudes About Dementia in the Church
Potential Activities:
Worship Services: Liturgy has the power to reach the deeper memories of people with dementia and connect them to their faith. Teachings about love, hope, personhood, salvation, fruits of the Spirit and caring for others are important for both those with dementia and those who care for them.
Memory Cafe: A safe place where people with dementia can go with their care partners to socialize and have fun with others in similar circumstances. A vital new resource to offer your members who may have dementia, as well as their families and caregivers.
Worship Services: Liturgy has the power to reach the deeper memories of people with dementia and connect them to their faith. Teachings about love, hope, personhood, salvation, fruits of the Spirit and caring for others are important for both those with dementia and those who care for them.
- Hold a regular worship service for people with dementia and their caregivers. This may be monthly, and may involve multiple churches in order to get enough participants.
- Keep service short (20 minutes), provide a lot of cuing, provide screen with words, sing familiar hymns, perhaps just the first verse. For interfaith services, choose appropriate readings and music.
- Engage people with dementia in the service.
- Hold an annual Dementia Friends Sunday service for your entire community, with intercessions for those affected by the illnesses, and a forum to educate the parish.
- Create a ceremony to mark the transfer of care of a family member as a blessing of the family and their new home
- Bless the caregiver as they assume a new role
- Bring communion to the person at home or in a facility
Memory Cafe: A safe place where people with dementia can go with their care partners to socialize and have fun with others in similar circumstances. A vital new resource to offer your members who may have dementia, as well as their families and caregivers.
- Watch and share the video from JSCS Boston where they help coordinate over 90 memory cafes in Massachusetts! in Spanish
- New friendships and support for one another
- Not a (facilitated) support group
- Fun – food, creative arts, music
- Usually once a month
- People crave respite and normalcy, if only for a short time
- Show that your group cares – invite neighbors!
- There is an on-line manual (and also one here) for how to set up a Memory Cafe
- Wisconsin's new poet laureate brings poetry to Memory Cafes
Social and Support:
- Teach welcomers about dementia, and encourage them to greet the families enthusiastically and introduce themselves each time.
- Provide a buddy – a volunteer to be with the person during and after the service to allow caregiver to worship and socialize.
- Provide a caregiver support group, including bereavement even during the illness because of the losses.
- Visit care homes and bring entertainment, caroling, etc.
- Send visitors to homes in a “blessings” ministry – provide a meal, a ride, an hour of respite for the caregiver.
- Provide adult education forums on all aspects of dementia including spiritual resources and how to communicate with someone with dementia.
- Encourage group members to become a Dementia Friend.
- Teach people to make Memory Boxes. A memory box includes treasures from the past – photographs, music, things that have special or symbolic meaning for them, objects they can touch and feel. This can be used in the event a person gets dementia. With guidance, this can be educational spiritually for anyone.
- Teach youth about dementia and get them involved in collection of music and filling iPods for elders to use, as well as making music together.Youth can also interview older people and record stories using video or text for the elder to keep.
- Write newsletter articles about families affected by dementia so that the community can better understand.
- Identify a parish volunteer “Dementia Navigator” to coordinate parish’s activities; share local resources with families.
- Send a representative to Dementia-Friendly America and other advocacy groups.