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Ministering in the Nursing Home
Today when I was wheeling Steve down to the therapy room, we encountered Evelyn, a resident in a wheelchair (not to be confused with Elaine). Every time I talk to her, she always says she wants to go home. She turned around when we greeted her and she grabbed Steve’s arm and asked, “How can I get out of here?” Very gently he told her that she had to work hard in therapy so she could go home. She gripped his arm even tighter and in a plea of desperation she said, “Come on, let’s get out of here together!”
It’s hard to know how to handle situations like these. We’re not sure if their mind is ”all there” or not. Steve does his best to be a source of encouragement to them. The women especially all like him. He refers to them as “blue hairs”. There’s one who always waves at him whenever she sees him. He’s like the young new boy on the block.
Yesterday was my day off, but he told me that Elaine (the next-door neighbor) was looking for me and was crying and feeling so lonely, so he went over by her and held her hand to comfort her. She’s suffering from some dementia, so even though her daughter comes to visit quite often, she forgets and gets all confused. We’re doing as much as we can without it emotionally draining us. But what a ministry there is in nursing homes just to be someone’s friend. There’s no reason for anyone to ever feel bored with their life, because there are so many opportunities to share God’s love.
Please pray for those who feel so lonely, lost and hopeless. A word of encouragement, a smile, a pat on the shoulder or a listening ear can make a huge difference in their lives. Are you willing to be used to show them some of God’s love?
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