Nurturing the Spirit of Persons Living with Memory Loss
The season for Advent has arrived! Spiritual and social connectedness are key to our overall well-being, and this is especially true for persons living with memory loss. There are no studies showing spirituality decreases as cognitive function decreases.
Creating and sharing joyful moments that promote spiritual and social growth can improve overall happiness and quality of life. Not only does spirituality nurture the human spirit, but it affirms personhood and brings opportunities to maintain relationships with family and friends.
Despite confusion and difficulty retrieving memories, persons living with memory loss retain the ability to feel and respond to emotions. Below are simple suggestions to address the spiritual needs of your family member.
- Expressing spiritual needs may be difficult when experiencing memory loss, but finding ways to help with the sense of the love God brings meaning and purpose into our lives.
- Making a prayer box together can bring spiritual awareness. Find a small box for you and your family member to write down prayer/bible verses on slips of paper. You can decorate the box together. Bring out the box when you sense their need for comfort. Rituals such as lighting a candle while you share the prayer box can bring a familiar closeness to God.
- Music is powerful. Listening and singing familiar hymns or even Christmas music together can be relaxing and calming and brighten moods for the family and may help your family members connect to their past.
- Many people find a connectedness to God in nature. Taking walks and being outdoors by smelling the flowers, hearing the birds sing, and watching sunset and sunrise will bring opportunities to appreciate the beauty of nature and can feed and nurture the soul.
- Nurturing the spiritual need into the life of your family member living with memory loss enriches the lives of everyone.
If you would like to learn more about our Memory Ministry or Memory Cafe, please contact Vicky Pitner at vpitner@firstfumc.org.