Click here to subscribe to this newsletter.   

Stretching the Mind as Spiritual Care  

Very early in my career of working with older adults I heard a presentation by Dr. William H. Thomas, founder and proponent of the Eden Alternative. He proclaimed  that elders living in congregate settings were often dying from helplessness, loneliness and boredom, which he identified as spiritual issues.   

Today on Facebook a friend recounted her son's first day in his new classroom--how he'd reconnected with friends and seemed to like his teachers. While sometimes anxiety producing, the first day of school broke the long string of summer days. I wonder if the older adults we serve don't sometimes miss those "first day of school" experiences. Those first days with new blank notebooks waiting to be written in and new textbooks just waiting to be read. And I'm wondering if there are ways that we can invite them to some new learning experiences as a way to counter boredom and loneliness and helplessness.  

And how is this spiritual you're wondering? I start from this definition:

Spirituality is the aspect of humanity that refers to the way individuals seek and express meaning and purpose and the way they experience their connectedness to the moment, to self, to others, to nature and to the significant or sacred.

Delving into a new subject, going deeper into a subject already known, encountering new ideas and positions are all channels for creating meaning and purpose in life. And the opportunities for connections are many: connecting around common interests and experiences with others in the group, learning new things about one's self, seeing connections between one's own life and the larger issue of the world.

While beginning a new learning program may seem daunting, it can be done in small steps. One way to start is to add a learning component to things you're already doing. If you plan a community celebration around a theme, perhaps earlier in the week you could provide a lecture or movie and discussion on the theme or event you're celebrating. For a Chinese New Year celebration at our community we mounted exhibitions of Chinese cultural artifacts and art; we had an eating with chopsticks lesson from the owner of a local Chinese restaurant; I did a program on the American missionary movement to China (since my great grandmother and grandparents were missionaries). Using the Chinese New Year Celebration as a starting place we were able to make it more than just entertainment, but also provided some opportunities to learn together as well.

Other learning opportunities developed from the expertise of our residents who were willing to share their learning and their long-held passions. One resident covered the walls of our multi-purpose room with rubbings she'd done over the course of many years of visiting England.  I just got a flyer from another community announcing the start of their College program for fall, where three classes are being offered by residents at the same time, one morning a week for a period of weeks.    

Staff expertise is also available. One summer we designed a series of weekly classes over a period of 4-6 weeks based on staff expertise and interests. I led a late afternoon bird watching walk, and my credibility soared when I commented that often in the late afternoon a heron flew into a tree in the grove on the other side of our rather large pond. I had no sooner said that, when the heron appeared, flying towards his favorite tree.

Community resources can also help build learning opportunities. Our local library sent a librarian to do a book talk once a month. We collaborated with local colleges and universities on classes and lecture series. For a series on various religious traditions we brought in local pastors and others from the community who represented faith traditions present in our community and among the residents. There are really no limits to what you can do--even on a limited budget. But a vision for it and a commitment to providing a place for older adults to learn together are needed.

When we are intentional about providing learning opportunities, we deepen the meaning and purpose of the lives of our residents and help them build connections to one another and to the world. The staff person who was leading the "Great Decisions" discussion group noted with great satisfaction the intense conversation she saw happening at the newspaper table in the library area of our main atrium, as residents discussed recent happenings that tied to an issue they'd discussed in the group. Interest, engagement, connections--all result when we provide places to learn. This endeavor provides an antidote to boredom and loneliness and is spiritual care.