Nursing Home Ministries

[DD2008]

Has anyone ever been involved in a nursing home ministy? I mean where you and some others go to a nursing home and visit some people there and minister to them?

I feel like I might want to do that.

 

[JCchangedmylife]

yes nursing home ministry and prison ministry
both are similar
if you have one in mind talk to the staff

they may already have a ministry involved there you can join

 

[mlqurgw]

I held a worship service and preached in a nursing home for over 9 years. I got too busy traveling to continue it and had to quit. It is a very rewarding thing to do but don't expect a lot. The real problem with doing it is that you get very close to many of the folks and they die. It seems you are in a constant state of mourning. It takes special people to do it any length of time. I certainly would reccomend it though because the folks look so forward to seeing you every week. For some it is the only real visits they get. And a few even actually hear the word.

 

[DeaconDean]

I held a worship service and preached in a nursing home for over 9 years. I got too busy traveling to continue it and had to quit. It is a very rewarding thing to do but don't expect a lot. The real problem with doing it is that you get very close to many of the folks and they die. It seems you are in a constant state of mourning. It takes special people to do it any length of time. I certainly would reccomend it though because the folks look so forward to seeing you every week. For some it is the only real visits they get. And a few even actually hear the word.

I have to echo the sentiments above.

I too was one of two Pastoral Care Ministers for my church.

I visited hospitals and nursing homes and was also part of Hospice.

And it is real sad, to a degree, when one of your "patients" die and your asked to perform the funeral for them.

But, it is also very rewarding. I made so many friends. And it teaches you how to minister to various people.

It takes a special breed to do this.

Hope you have what it takes to stick with it.

God Bless

Till all are one.

 

[JustAsIam77]

I held a worship service and preached in a nursing home for over 9 years. I got too busy traveling to continue it and had to quit. It is a very rewarding thing to do but don't expect a lot. The real problem with doing it is that you get very close to many of the folks and they die. It seems you are in a constant state of mourning. It takes special people to do it any length of time. I certainly would reccomend it though because the folks look so forward to seeing you every week. For some it is the only real visits they get. And a few even actually hear the word.

I can relate as I used to own a medical supply company, many of my customers were in skilled nursing facilities and hospice programs, I became friends with them and it was very difficult to experience their passing in a relatively short span of time.

 

[GeraldNC]

My wife goes and visits about 3-5 times a week. She helps with some of the craft times, bingo times, etc. But mostly she just wanted to go down there, meet some of them, and be a visitor especially to those who have no visitors. She felt this was what God was leading her to do, and finally stepped out and did it. She feels way more blessed then those she visits. My wife is so awesome! lol. She doesn't preach, nor even take her Bible down there. She is open about her faith, but it's not about ministering to them in that way for her. She just goes down there to love on them truth be told. I think that is the best ministry!

 

[Billy Greathouse]

I held a worship service and preached in a nursing home for over 9 years. I got too busy traveling to continue it and had to quit. It is a very rewarding thing to do but don't expect a lot. The real problem with doing it is that you get very close to many of the folks and they die. It seems you are in a constant state of mourning. It takes special people to do it any length of time. I certainly would reccomend it though because the folks look so forward to seeing you every week. For some it is the only real visits they get. And a few even actually hear the word.

I would like to talk to you more about doing this. I am new at this and just needing information about the steps to doing it. Thank You.

 

[alex2165]

I also used to go to nursing homes for a short time. My goal at first was to find there some people who willing and able to listen and to learn, and also those who missed their church, or those who just need some comfort to talk about Bible and GOD.

Unfortunately I did not find a single person in two nursing homes I used to go who would pay any attention to questions or answers or to the Bible at all.

It is completely true that many of them have last days of their life and only thing they basically need is to pray to GOD for forgiveness of sins and then die, making peace in the process with the Lord before departing to Him.

Practically all patients in the nursing homes are very old, sick, and most of them have a little or no hearing at all.

It is also hard to find a quiet place in the nursing home. Patients usually paired in one room, and TVs turned all day long and very loud. Cafeteria also is very noisy and people do not pay attention to you but constantly shifting their eyes to TV screen.

Many of them completely lost all interest in religion, in Bible, and in GOD in general. Having been on the drugs all day long most of the time they are napping every 10 or 15 minutes, and they are no longer process any kind of information as a normal person would.

I always have my Bible with me when I go to nursing home, but hardly opened it most of the times, instead I encouraged them to pray to the Lord before their departure and to make peace with their GOD. Concerning general help and to give them something spiritual, educational, and spirit uplifting conversation, was completely hopeless.

When I realized that the nursing home is not a place to educate and inspire, I give them few Bibles and left for good.

But again, it is all depend on what king of goal you want to achieve. Praying with them certainly would be very beneficial for them, reading short passages from Psalms, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes, also would be very useful, if you fins a quiet place to do this.

So concerning me, I have different goals in my life in religion and faith and I looking for other opportunities to employ my knowledge and understanding of my faith with those who are able to understand, have open mind, and who have some amount of reasoning.

Good luck.

 

[JacquelineDeane55]

Do you give any of them the gospel message?

 

[JacquelineDeane55]

I don't think you should only speak to those who are capable of reasoning. Everyone needs Christ, everyone needs the gospel.

 

[Dan61861]

I just walked in one day and talked to the staff. I asked them for names of individuals that never receive visitors. I asked them if I could visit them. The hardest part for me was watching them die and not being able to help. I was a visitor, they have a trained staff. I would just sit a listen to them, pray with them. Some will look forward to your visits, some not so much.

In Christ
Daniel

 

[lismore]

I used to do this! Four of us would do a short service at a nursing home for folks who physically could not get to their own churches any more. I will never forget the gratitude the people showed that someone was taking an interest in them, some had no living relatives or much social interaction. We had several salvations and always a good response. It's a very worthwhile thing to do. As the bible says:

"and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous." (Luke 14:14)