What Is Your Parish Doing to Aid Caregivers?

Last updated on: March 12, 2015 at 4:45 pm by Lisa M. Hendey

What Is Your Parish Doing to Aid Caregivers? 2015-03-12T16:45:40-07:00 Lisa M. Hendey

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

A great article ran at OSV this week “Parishes could offer a solution to the problem of a caregiver’s 36-hour days”. The article shares how prevalent the role of caregivers is in today’s society:

By one count, the overall total of caregivers in America now stands at more than 65 million, which is around 30 percent of the adult population. The number is certain to rise as the number of elderly grows to 71.5 million by 2030. Two-thirds of the caregivers help someone over the age of 50, and of these about 15 million care for persons with Alzheimer’s or some other dementia. Caregiver services — volunteer work, recall — were valued at $450 billion in 2009.

In his article, author Russell Shaw gives a great shout-out to author Laraine Bennett (herself a caregiver), the author of A Year of Grace: 365 Reflections for Caregivers. In a recent interview I conducted with Laraine, she shared about her desire to support caregivers:

I wanted to speak to the reality of caregivers’ situation: their work is hidden, they are often lonely, exhausted, unappreciated, and frustrated. Yet their work is hugely important. They are bringing the love of Christ to the ones for whom they care. They are a light in the world, and a balm of refreshing love. God will give them the grace they need to continue their work. I didn’t want to sugar-coat the reality of the situation, but I did want to encourage and offer hope and humor. I hope caregivers and cared for alike will find this book refreshing and encouraging. Also, I would like to encourage caregivers to join my Facebook page; I am hoping to create a community of caregivers who can encourage each other. Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/ReflectionsforCaregivers

In his article for OSV, Mr. Shaw suggests that perhaps our parishes could have a role in supporting caregivers. This made me think of my own large parish, which has both a ministry to bring Holy Communion to homebound parishioners and another to supply meals for families. But I’m guessing that there is more out there — and that these selfless souls indeed need more support.

So I’m curious — What Is Your Parish Doing to Aid Caregivers? If you have programs in place, please share them in the comments below. On the other hand, if you are a caregiver without support, please share a few specific thoughts on what your parish could be doing to support you.

Previous Post

August 21, 2014

USCCB Calls for Special Collection For Victims Of Violence In The Middle East

Next Post

August 22, 2014 Sweet Tweets for 8/22/14 - Children of God

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category @Pontifex Books Catholic Geek Stuff Catholic Moments Family Life Good Measures Liturgical Calendar New Evangelization News Reviews Rwanda Saints Speaking Tanzania Journal Top Catholic Tweets Travel Uncategorized Vocations Yes

Select a Month August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What animal was most often sacrificed for a sin offering in the Old Testament?

Select your answer to see how you score.

A goat A bull A lamb A bird