5 Factors to Consider When Counseling a Member on Long-Term Care
Spirituality is a vital part of many people’s lives and influences many decisions, including the one to move into a senior living community. As your members search for an assisted living community that matches their spiritual needs, they may seek your advice.
Here are a few factors to consider when counseling seniors:
1. Transitioning to long-term care can be an emotional time
Dealing with a major change late in life can be difficult, and some seniors may have trouble adjusting to the idea of moving into an assisted living community. Reach out and offer a safe, supportive place to talk about their emotions. While they may be experiencing a sense of loss, there may also be an opportunity to explore the positive impact a move could have on their quality of life.
2. Their families may also be struggling
You may be able to provide much-needed comfort and counsel for adult children taking on additional responsibilities for their parents’ daily needs.
Some families aren’t prepared to make major care decisions for their loved ones and may welcome your assistance in mediating discussions and decisions about long-term care options.
3. Long-term care communities offer different levels of spiritual support
Seniors have varying physical and emotional needs. An assisted living community can meet most of these basic needs, but many long-term care communities don’t offer resources to support residents’ spiritual needs.
When you’re discussing assisted living communities with a member of your community, you may want to remind her to ask whether potential communities:
- Have a chaplain or other spiritual care support on staff
- Provide a chapel or other site dedicated to prayer, services or other faith-centered activities
- Recognize and make it a priority to serve residents’ spiritual needs
4. Some senior communities offer volunteer opportunities
Many seniors feel called to express their spirituality by volunteering. You may want to remind seniors or their loved ones to ask about the community’s dedication to providing charitable service opportunities.
5. You can help keep them connected to your spiritual community
Even if seniors can’t attend services regularly, you can sustain their ties to your community by:
- Visiting them after they move into an assisted senior living community
- Encouraging your community members to regularly visit
- Asking your congregation to pray for and support specific community members facing health challenges or with other special needs
To discuss the spiritual care resources available at Elder Care Alliance communities, feel free to contact us.
