Faith and dementia
Spiritual care is especially important at times of crisis. For a person affected by dementia this can be at the time of diagnosis, or at the end of life when they are dying. All the way along their journey, observing the traditions of their faith is hugely important.
I always ask people affected by dementia if they have a faith. Especially if it is one that promises an afterlife when everyone is made whole again and reunited in a lovely place, it offers great comfort and solace to the person and their family. The nurses and doctors or any other professional carers should be aware of this faith and what they can do to support its expression. However, the faith leaders and members of the faith group can also do an amazing job in supporting their friend with dementia and the family group.
supporting families - being a carer for someone with dementia is really tough at times, and they might not even get to religious services themselves because of caring duties, so think about how you can help that, for example taking care of the person affected so their partner or child can get out to the temple, church, synagogue, or mosque.
advice for elders, and pastoral workers - learn a little bit about dementia so that you feel more confident about talking to people with dementia and handling common issues like getting disorientated, or thirsty, or needing to go to the toilet at inconvenient times. Understand that if the person says inappropriate things, it is the dementia talking, not the person.
visiting care homes - lots of old people in care homes never get to a religious service, so have a serious think about what might help. Can you collect and take them? Or can you have a service in the care home? How can people from minority faiths be supported to continue their faith when they are surrounded by people who might not know a lot about their traditions and practices?
food and drink - faith groups often have meetings that involve eating and drinking so knowing something about nutrition in dementia is really useful, and a meal is a great place for people to meet up and feel fellowship from their faith community.
design of the service - for someone with dementia, the shorter the better, with more old-fashioned familiar singing and prayers with just one or two lines. For example, in Scotland where a lot of people may have been members of the Church of Scotland, maybe try the Lord’s Prayer which many older Scottish people learned at school and will remember even in dementia. Wherever you are and wherever your loved ones come from, there will be familiar rituals that they remember.
design of the building - some religious buildings are a bit dark. It helps with dementia if you can increase the light level at times to accommodate the ageing eye, so they can see the familiar setting for themselves.
All religions and faiths emphasise the importance of respecting and caring for those who are old and frail, and faith groups have a massive role to play in this, supporting their families as well. If you can, say a prayer for all the families tonight!
