Holistic care in people is essentially how we respond to the mixture of the person’s physical, emotional, social and spiritual parts to help bring about an improvement in their wellbeing. It is particularly important in older people who are often experiencing great changes in their health and emotions and they may no longer have the familiarity of living in the family home. It is these “strands”, woven together, that makes each of us a unique me”.
This is particularly important to bear in mind when we are caring for people on the dementia pathway and ministering to their spiritual needs. The Alzheimer’s Society uses the symbol of the forget me not to draw us to the me, that spiritual centre, that lies, often concealed and forgotten, beneath dementia symptoms.
The way we offer our spiritual support to people with dementia will need to change as the person’s dementia symptoms change and medical problems occur more frequently. One approach clearly does not fit all situations, the approach needs tailoring to the person’s current needs. A lady who was once fluent with the communion service, who now has difficulty in understanding what is said to her, may possibly benefit from a simple service tailored to her current needs, perhaps in a one to one setting, allowing her to worship by listening (and often singing!) to hymns and responding to prayers, both familiar from her childhood.
Visual symbols such as a palm cross, a candle, a tiny Christmas tree, poppies, a crucifix, small tins of vegetables, all help identify certain times in the church’s year. She can hold these items and they may be useful for her to explore and assist her worship. They could all be kept in a special “memory box” that she might be invited to open during her time of worship.
She may be unable to hold a conversation but the expression on her face will show that, though very simple, the worship has been meaningful for her. Holistic spiritual care in dementia is not a beautiful wordy “one off” act of worship. Such services may constitute part of the holistic approach but rather it is our being alongside the person as she travels the dementia pathway. It is supporting her with carefully tailored spiritual care, at the different times in her journey, creating something that is meaningful to her (and not what we would like!) that enables her to know that God cares and loves her in both the ups and downs of her journey along the dementia pathway.
Our mission area Dementia Core Group came into being a few years ago to raise the awareness of dementia for members of our congregations and since then it has organised two annual dementia friendly services in church for people with milder dementia symptoms.
In one of our churches there is a “supporter” to sit with a person with dementia during regular church services if needed. Experienced church volunteers have led regular services in the care homes and at special festivals, (eg at harvest), for residents and their visitors, tailoring them to the needs of the residents and working in close liaison with the activity coordinator of the home.
Visual aids have been an important component of these services. At harvest there were samples of harvest produce such as bread, grapes and other fruit (which were eaten and enjoyed as part of the worship). The Christian symbols of Bible, Cross and Candle were prominently displayed and music, hymns and prayers were carefully chosen to be short and familiar for the residents, to make the worship meaningful to them and to help them connect with their spiritual life.
The time for tea, cakes and socialising, after the service, encouraging the volunteers and the congregation to mix, gave time for the residents to experience a treat and feel a renewed awareness of God’s love.
Wendy Weeks
(Coordinator of the Three Spires Mission Area Dementia Core Group comprising St Mary’s Walkley, St Mark’s Broomhill and St John’s Ranmoor).
February 2025
