A recent survey by OneAmerica Financial reveals important insights for church leaders regarding the informal caregiving concerns of church members. The survey reveals that caregivers face high stress levels amidst a lack of support and information.

Today, in part due to the extremely high cost of long-term care, more and more older adults are opting to age in place and receive informal care in their homes, with care being provided by a family member or close friend. But the survey indicates that while these informal caregivers offer a compassionate, personal touch, they are frequently left alone to manage physical, emotional, and financial stress. And, they struggle with balancing competing priorities and lack access to adequate resources or training. (For the complete survey, visit: https://www.oneamerica.com/about-us/news/articles/caregiver-survey).

Although every caregiving concern is different and every congregation is unique, there are some things that the church can do to help informal caregivers.

Remembering both the caregiver and the care receiver in prayer on a regular basis is essential for both need spiritual support. Knowing that the church is praying for the homebound and informal caregivers can provide a sense of comfort and strength of all involved.

Churches can start an intentional Congregational Care Ministry by first consulting with those engaged in the caregiving role. Church leaders should not assume that they know what caregivers need. Ask, listen, and try to understand caregivers’ stories before advancing haphazardly into ministry.

There are many practical ideas for engaging in an intentional congregational care ministry. Here are some to help your church get started:

• Start a support group for caregivers. Invite in-person and livestream opportunities for caregivers to network with others and learn about available resources and services.
• Develop a respite care program to provide relief for caregivers. Train and enlist volunteers to visit with the care receiver on Sunday mornings so that the primary caregiver can participate in worship and Sunday school.
• Provide a minor home maintenance and repair ministry. This can be as simple as changing light bulbs in and around the house to building a ramp for wheelchair accessibility.
• Provide a household cleaning and chores ministry such as meal preparation, grocery shopping, raking leaves, doing laundry, and washing dirty dishes.
• Start a parish nurse ministry or health and wellness ministry. In every church I served as a pastor, I was fortunate enough to have retired nurses who served as parish nurses. They often coordinated health fairs, health education, blood pressure checks, and made regular home visits.
• Start a Stephen Ministry or other structured visitation ministry. These volunteers can be a lifeline for caregivers by helping caregiver and care receiver set appropriate bounds for sharing tasks, communication issues, and support.
• Provide respite fund ministry. Caregiving expenses can put a great strain on the financial resources of many older adults and their caregivers. Start a fund from which families can draw money to pay for various caregiving needs. Another financial service could be providing Love Offerings to help the caregiver pay bills.
• Provide transportation for caregivers and care receivers. Transportation should be provided to church for worship services, Sunday school, and other church-related activities, as well as for doctor, dentist, and hospital visits.
• Start caregiver crisis teams. Older adults from a variety of professional areas may form crisis teams to respond to specific caregiver needs. Team members could be grouped under specific areas of ministry such as money matters, suicides, sudden death of care receiver, legal issues, health issues, scams and frauds, and caregiver emotional stress.
• Start an adult daycare ministry in which care receivers go for a few hours each day or once or twice a week. Caregivers are given time to do other things while the care receiver is provided quality care in a supportive setting. Some churches develop programs by themselves, others in conjunction with other churches or community agencies.
• Help caregivers learn to advocate for their rights and the rights of their care receivers. Engaging in our U.S. healthcare systems is fraught with anxiety and challenges. It’s not easy and can be extremely discouraging and perplexing. Caregivers who maneuver through the social and healthcare systems may experience feelings of frustration, anger, and being overwhelmed. Helping caregivers to become strong advocates for their rights and the rights of the care receiver may provide the courage and knowledge to overcome the many roadblocks, paperwork, and red tape.

For additional information about an intentional Congregational Care Ministry, I invite you to read my latest book, An Age of Opportunity: Intentional Ministry By, With, and For Older Adults.

Rick Gentzler is Director of Older Adult Ministry at ENCORE Ministry Foundation. For more information, email Gentzler at rgentzler@encoreministry.org.