Caregiving Support Ministries
by Judith Pruess-Mellow, Ph.D., M.Div.

• ACAP — Adult Children/Caregivers of Aging Persons: This group began nine years ago as a monthly support group for adult children of aging parents. We have expanded to include any caregiver of any aging person. We meet monthly, 7:30-9:00 p.m., with a presenter on a variety of relevant topics and always a half hour of sharing about personal caregiving challenges. The group participants offer as much wisdom and support as the facilitators, usually a duo of church staff member and layperson.


• Senior Health Chat — This biweekly program, funded by a grant from the California United Methodist Women's Beulah Grant, attracts older adults in both the caregiver and care receiver "categories." It goes 10:00 a.m.-noon, with devotions, stretching, and speakers on a wide variety of topics of interest to seniors. (See the Interpreter, November 2004, for more information.)


• Friendly Visitors — This program has been in operation for ten years, under the coordination of Judith Pruess-Mellow, Minister of Visitation (and, now, Older-Adult Ministries). She has asked many different laypeople to visit designated homebound people once or twice a month over a long term. These one-to-one relationships have often developed into deep friendships. Training and ongoing support are offered, sometimes with visitors as a group, mostly one-to-one as needed. A packet on how to set up and run a Friendly Visitor Program is available from Los Altos United Methodist Church (655 Magdalena Ave., Los Altos, CA 94024) for $5.00, including postage and handling.


• Prayer Shawls — This ministry of mostly UMW volunteers provides fabric, sewing, and drawing of "squares" that are sewn onto shawls. Based on the idea of the Jewish tallit, these shawls are taken to the homebound and grieving to remind them that God can be found, God loves them, and they are part of a community of faith. Prayers are placed in the two pockets that are formed by sewing the 8" x 11" illustrated muslin "square" onto the fabric.


• Rock of Ages songbook — We conduct worship services at several assisted living facilities and have had worship leaders (like me) at times who do not have musical abilities. Our UMW purchased 30 copies of Rock of Ages, and one of our choir's sopranos taped the most beloved of the hymns for use as accompaniment in the worship services.

For more information, contact Judith Pruess-Mellow, Ph.D., M.Div., Los Altos United Methodist Church, Los Altos, CA; judithpruessmellow@laumc.org; 650-948-1083, ext. 138.