Each month we will offer a list of action ideas so you can defend, honor, and celebrate Life in your churches and communities on our Take Action page. This month, we are looking at caregivers.
Many people in your families and church pews have served as caregivers. They can be nurses and physicians working with hospice patients. They can be adult children caring
for aging parents, sometimes even in their own homes. They can also be friends helping others make end of life decisions. Caregivers are often largely responsible for the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of aging and ailing people, and that is an important but often difficult commitment to make. The time and energy spent on trying to care for others, while living their own lives, feels like a perilous balancing act. Caregivers also must face the decline and eventual death of loved ones, and that can weigh on their hearts and spirits. Despite the difficulties, caregivers offer their time, love, and compassion, in a truly Christ-like way, and their efforts should be honored by the Church. Take time to thank a caregiver in your life and see how you can minister to their needs.
Action Ideas:
- If they are the primary caretaker, volunteer to visit with the person they are caring for, so the caregiver can have some time to his or herself.
- Suggest Finishing Life God’s Way booklet for helping caregivers talk about end of life decisions.
- Take time to talk with a caregiver and offer prayer and a sympathetic ear.
- If caregivers are having trouble taking loved ones to appointments or for errands, arrange a schedule with other friends and family members to ease some of the transportation burden or arrange meals to be delivered regularly.
Resources:
Written by AFL Administrator Robin Ferguson
