Toolbox For Faith

I once heard a speaker describe the coming thirty years as a period of “mass aging”. There will be more senior adults than ever before and therefore we will have increased opportunities for ministry with senior adults. While there are countless wonderful ministry opportunities out there, we are considering applying for a grant from the Brookdale Foundation, to start a social respite program to assist families dealing with dementia. A social respite program provides free time for caregivers and social interaction for participants. Since social respite is designed for people in the early stages of memory loss, it is not a medical program and is therefore much easier to set-up and operate at a church. In my experience, social respite programs can provide a wonderful ministry to families who often struggle silently in the community. You can learn more about the social respite model and the Brookdale Foundation at their website.