Christian Caregiving Exam #3

What do seniors go through at this season in their lives?

a series of various losses and gains

Grieving Seniors

• Putting things in God’s hands

  • God excels in human weakness

• Help prepare them for the blessings of eternal life

  • Many are very ready

Dependent Seniors

• Requires us to put our trust in others

  • Let them know people want to serve them and you’re doing them a favor by letting them

• Independence is a myth anyway for the Christian

Vulnerability in Seniors

• Watch carefully that they’re not taken advantage of by the unscrupulous and their own family

Self-centeredness in Seniors

• People become more childlike (world revolves around them)

• Understand you may be the bright spot in their lives

• 
  

Remorse in Seniors

• Exploring sins for which they still feel guilty and need forgiveness

• Help in forgiving sins committed against them

Percentage of people who are mentally unwell

20%

Percentage of people who are mildly disordered (bad day)

40%

Percentage of people who are moderately disordered (recognizable patterns)

20%

Percentage of people who are severely disordered (somewhat incapacitated)

20%

Percentage of American adults who suffer from a mental disorder

20-25%

Percentage of population that will experience a disaster that will interfere with normal functioning

50%

Causes of Disorder

• Genetic Basis (DNA)

• Family of Origin (things that happen early in life that lead to problems later)

• Life stressors (especially prolonged stress)

Schizophrenic Disorders

• excessive thought disturbance/delusion/abnormal behavior

• well known to people around them

• sometimes “shop” caregivers

• Be ready to set limits

Anxiety Disorders

• may suffer panic attacks

• socially active with limits

• crucial to provide a safe environment

Affective Disorders

• depression

Personality Disorders

• can be result of life experiences

• tend not to be treatable with medications

Autism

• impaired social interaction in verbal and non-verbal communication

• varying degrees of severity

• caregiving attention to parents, who may blame themselves

• repetition and routine are comfortable

Addressing spiritual needs of those who are suffering

• Theology of the cross

• communicate God’s Word in drastic environments

• Assure them of

  • their identity as children of God

  • community within the body of Christ

  • stability as destined for eternal life through faith

  • Forgiveness of sins which comes through Christ

  • 
    

Avoidable Mistakes

• “Pull yourself together”

• telling them to take a vacation

• allowing depressed person to make decisions about core/treatment without assistance

• superficial assertions: “things are already getting better”

• Making too many spiritual demands

Oratorio

• narrow sense - us to God

• wider sense - 2 directional: God to us and us to God

• Contents of our prayer leading into/including meditation

• “teach me”

Meditatio

• Read the verse

• reread it

• speak it out loud

• continue to pray “teach me”

• it doesn’t have to be a race through Scripture