Dementia and Spirituality Project
The rising incidence of dementia in our aging population is one of the biggest challenges to our health and social care system, as the recent campaign of the Alzheimer's Society has made us aware. There is a developing awareness of the spiritual and pastoral needs of people with dementia and their carers.
As we focus on person-centred approaches to the care and support of people with dementia and recognise their dignity and rights, we need to ensure that their spiritual needs as well as the practice of their faith are both acknowledged and met.
The Caritas Social Action Network (CSAN) Dementia and Spirituality Project seeks to draw on and build on good practice from faith communities with a particular focus on the Catholic Church in developing awareness of the spiritual and pastoral needs of people with dementia and their carers. It aims to ensure that parishes are communities of understanding and welcome for sufferers of dementia and their families. It aims to develop training and awareness materials for use of a wide range of people involved in meeting the faith needs of people with dementia, including:
- People with dementia
- Informal carers
- Staff in residential and nursing care settings
- Religious Orders and Catholic Voluntary Sector Organisations
- Clergy and Parish Communities, Hospital Chaplains
- Diocesan and Deanery Advisors
- Eucharistic Ministers
Dementia and Spirituality DVD
"It's still ME, Lord..."
Caritas Social Action Network (CSAN) has released a DVD that aims to raise awareness of the spiritual needs of people with dementia.
There are now 700,000 people with dementia in the UK. In recognising the dignity and rights of people with dementia and their carers, there must also be greater awareness of their spiritual needs and their need to practice their faith. At the launch of a mapping report on older peoples’ services provided by the Catholic Church, Archbishop Vincent Nichols said “the elderly are not a burden, but a gift!”.
Caritas Social Action Network has created a valuable resource for carers, tackling dementia from a spiritual perspective, in order to ensure that the inner value and the dignity of elderly people are not neglected.
The film highlights good practice in care settings and from faith communities and is designed to be a training resource for those involved in supporting people with dementia and their carers. It also shows how parishes can be places of understanding and welcome for people with dementia and their families.
The DVD is available free of charge, but donations to cover production costs are gratefully received (the suggested donation is £7.50 per DVD).
In addition to offering the DVD, Caritas Social Action Network will host training days in London, Manchester, Bristol, Newcastle, Birmingham, Cambridge and Plymouth
In February/March 2010. These workshops are linked to the objectives of the National Dementia Strategy to raise awareness and understanding of dementia. Ben Bano, of Telos Training Ltd, will facilitate the workshop. Ben is a Spirituality and Dementia trainer and a Eucharistic Minister. Guest speakers will be invited to contribute to particular parts of the programme.
If you are interested in attending a training session on dementia and spirituality or want to order a DVD, please contact us for further information.
Contact
Caritas Social Action Network
39 Eccleston Square, SW1V 1BX London
Tel: 020 7901 4875
Further information
If you would like to contribute to the project please contact Ben Bano through the Caritas Social Action Network office.
Tel: 020 7901 4875
Mob: 07887 651117
Email: benbano@aol.com