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Proclaiming the Gospel in Nursing Homes
Kristina Cooper tells the story of Judy Fox and Doreen Troiani and their friends, who visit nursing homes in their area every week in nursing homes singing hymns and sharing their faith with the residents there.
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In Western society the elderly have little status, and those who are sick or can no longer look after themselves, are often sent to nursing homes where they unfortunately can end up being forgotten by their busy family and friends. As people move into the final stage of their lives, their spiritual needs, are if anything more important than ever before. However these can be relegated to second place by those caring for them physically, particularly if they don't share their faith or see the importance of this. Bringing the gospel to residents in nursing homes, some
of whom are very lonely and isolated has thus become an important area
of mission. One person, who has become involved in this ministry is
Judy Fox, who is part of the Cursillo movement. Married with three grown
up children, she and her husband returned to the UK after living in
China ten years ago. The ministry began by accident. She remembers,
"It began when a friend and I began visiting Tom and Cath Churchman,
the grandparents of one of my son's school friends. When Cath died and
Tom, who suffered from terrible Alzheimer's, was transferred to Lyndhurst
a nursing home in
The ministry grew when Tom because of his worsening condition was moved to another home, Huntercombe. The pair went to visit Tom in his new place but also continued to go to Lyndhurst because by this time they had so many friends there too. Initially the matron in the new home wasn't too keen
on their religious input and put them in a back room, but after about
the 3rd matron change and the requests of the residents we came to be
greeted with open arms and ended up in the main sitting room. Doreen
comments, "One thing led to another, as staff were transferred
to other homes, and they wanted us to come and visit their patients
so at one point we were going to 4 different homes each week although
now we If they notice that one of their regulars isn't in the
sitting room they ask for permission to visit them in their rooms where
they will often pray with them. Sometimes the staff are very supportive,
particularly those who come from an African or Filipino background,
who are strong Christians themselves. On other occasions they can encounter
a bit of negativity. Judy remembers, "When we went to visit one
person in hospital the matron, wouldn't let us sing, as she said we
were spreading germs, so we went out into the car park and continued
there!" Judy reflects, "My experience is really more with
young children, whom I really love but lots of people are working with
children, and someone needs to help the elderly." It's not just
those that they visit who are helped. Some times funny things happen, like the time that Judy came back to find a strange pair of false teeth in her handbag. Matters got even more complicated when she rang round the places they had visited and three people claimed them. "It was a bit like the Cinderella story, only with false teeth," remembers Judy. The high point for her, she says, is when she sees some residents, who have perhaps in the beginning ignored them, slowly join in with the singing. For Doreen it was the first time that Beryl, one of the ladies who comes with them and who suffers memory loss herself, shared one of her own deep religious experiences. When she was 12 and her mother was dying, her mother suddenly sat up in bed and cried out, "Lord, I'm coming!" which had greatly strengthened Beryl's own faith. This story has now slightly lost its lustre as Beryl repeats it every week, but as most of the residents have short term memories too, it doesn't seem to bother anyone.
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