Shanoa Bruner is one of the one-quarter of American adults in the “sandwich generation” who are raising children under 18 and supporting aging parents.
The mother, who is in her 40s, lives with her husband, two teenage daughters, her mother-in-law, and her biological father in her home outside Indianapolis.
For Bruner, being a caretaker comes naturally. She grew up in a household that regularly opened her home to others and served the church and community. Additionally, she has worked in the fields of assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing for over 20 years.
“I grew up in a very Christian household where people valued more than possessions,” she said. “It’s definitely rewarding for me, just the way I see it. But it’s not for everyone.”
As baby boomers enter their later years, their children are taking in them or helping manage their care from afar. Sixty-six percent of caregivers are women like Bruner, most of whom are in their mid-to-late 40s and also work outside the home.
The demanding needs of caregivers and their loved ones give believers an opportunity to offer support and gospel hope. Churches, nonprofits, governments, and parachurch organizations have resources that allow individual Christians to offer personal, tangible love in action.
In 2022, the first Bible study specifically for dementia caregivers will be published. Some churches also offer caregiver training sessions. The Caregiver Support Network hosts a “Supporting Carers” program and also has a dedicated “Carer Prayer.”
Richard Gentzler Jr., an expert on senior citizen services, paraphrased former first lady Rosalynn Carter when she wrote that there were only four types of people in the world. People who have been caregivers, are currently caregivers, will be caregivers, or will be caregivers in the future. I need a caregiver. In other words, Christians are not exempt from participating in the care of their caregivers.
“I think there’s a lot of opportunity for the church to meet the emotional needs of this community. The community might just be someone to talk to,” Bruner said. “There are a lot of emotions involved when caring for a parent, so it’s good to have someone who will listen to you.”
Most caregivers are adult children, but in some cases an elderly spouse or distant relative may take on the role. The lives of caregivers are characterized by stress and overwhelm, as they frequently juggle work, childcare, and a job as a taxi driver for multiple medical appointments per week. They also provide a babysitter for home care and a 24-hour check-in for her at a senior facility.
“Statistics show that caregivers are more likely to suffer from mental illness than the loved ones they care for,” said Lauren Guinn, executive director of the Shepherd’s Center, a nonprofit organization for independent seniors in Hamilton County, Indiana. “It has been shown that the prevalence of depression is high.” “They have higher rates of physical health problems and die earlier.”
Multiple factors contribute to poor caregiver health, including lower income, sole child support, cohabitation, severity of health problems, and race. African American and Latino caregivers are more likely to report poor health. People caring for a parent with Alzheimer’s disease report the highest stress levels.
Guinn said unassisted single carers fared the worst, with higher levels of need leading to more “carer burnout, stress and health issues.”
Research shows that religious values do contribute to caregiver demographics. Guinn’s Christian faith certainly guides her work at the Shepherd Center, where she directs programs that support caregivers and the elderly, offering counseling, transportation, visitation, yard work, and more. It provides social activities, guardianship services, etc.
“We are taking action,” she said. “If we all make an effort to help the people we care for, not only will it impact their lives, but from a Kingdom perspective, the impact will be huge. ”
This work is critical, especially since, as Guinn said, many older people have the greatest challenges due to insufficient support from their caregivers. The cost of treatment is a major issue.
Getting older is expensive, and full-time memory care facilities cost an average of $7,000 per month. Medicaid does not cover room and board, but it can help with other necessary support services, such as grooming, bathing, and medication management.
Because of costs, many families have no choice but to be full-time caregivers at home, while others provide care for relatives who live alone or are cared for in a facility.
Bruner didn’t grow up with his father, but lived with an aunt who ran a food pantry and an uncle who was a chaplain at the local jail. Their legacy of Christian service and sacrifice inspired them to care for their aging biological father.
Bruner’s father requires regular visits from an Alzheimer’s disease specialist, a neurologist, a urologist, a podiatrist, and a neurospine specialist. Bruner and her husband agreed after prayerful consideration that keeping him cared for and booked was a full-time job for her. She feels lucky to have the means to get outside help, as many others are unable to do so.
Bruner said that during her professional elder care work, she witnessed adult children struggling with the responsibility of caring for abandoned parents. Because of this psychology and the burden of caregiving, elder abuse is very common.
For Bruner, caring for the father who didn’t raise him is “a kind of repair.” Although she considers her role to be her ministry, she said she wishes there were more supportive programs for caregivers from the church.
Even without a dedicated senior support program, Guinn believes local churches are “uniquely qualified” to provide support to caregivers.
“All they need is to feel like they’re not alone,” Guinn said. “And I feel like the church has an opportunity to reach out to people that the devil seems to be isolating.”
Guinn found that although caregivers were resistant to support from organizations, they did develop some trust in the church. She said smaller churches are doing the best work in this area.
“There may only be 100 people in these churches, but everyone there knows each other,” she said. She said, “People who are having surgery bring food, so we know if someone needs help getting to the doctor.…There is a sense of community in a small church, and there is a natural support for caregivers.” will increase.”
This type of service is still often carried out by parachurch organizations, which can raise funds to offset costs and implement specific programs of support.
Launched in 2022, the Caregivers Support Network provides financial assistance to unpaid caregivers through an application process. Rebecca Dowai founded the organization after years of caring for her mother, who suffered from multiple sclerosis.
“During a season of burnout and depression, my physical, mental, and spiritual health took a significant toll,” she writes. “Due to the unrelenting nature of the disorder, we had to keep pouring from an empty cup with no way to recharge our energy.”
Churches may host evenings or events specifically for caregivers. In Dothan, Alabama, the First United Methodist Church’s respite care ministry team launched Rosemary House, a place of rejuvenation for forgetful caregivers.
“Caregivers sometimes need someone to listen to them,” said Katie Holland, the department’s director. “We just want to create a shelter where they can get support, education and training.”
The American Heart Association is one of many organizations encouraging caregivers to consider their own health while supporting their loved one. In some resources, they remind caregivers of their right to care for their health, accept help, utilize community resources, express their emotions, and take care of other parts of their lives.
Family Caregiver Alliance helps caregivers find outside support, including care management, transportation assistance, support groups, legal and financial counseling, respite care, adult day care options, and more.
The ministry, Gospel Hope for Caregivers, founded by Marissa Bondurant, encourages people to view caregiving primarily as a ministry. After Bondurant cared for her young (now healthy) daughter with cancer, she realized there was a gap in support for Christian caregivers.
“When we started writing about our experiences, some of the difficult things, and the ways God has provided for us, our story began to resonate on both ends of the caregiving spectrum,” says CaringBridge Bondurant said from the time he posted this to the present. Public site.
“A lot of it had to do with the theology of suffering. People need to hear something that truly addresses the questions they have in their hearts, and I think it’s important to remember that the church sometimes puts a little bit of a happy-face sticker on it. I think I needed to hear something that wasn’t just a band-aid.”
Bruner noted that the church already has people dedicated to praying for and supporting people with other issues, such as poverty, single parenthood, addiction and divorce. She said appearing in the same way for caregivers would be “a kind of light” in the darkness.
Those familiar with the caregiving field say that because many caregivers never ask for or accept help, positive, tangible support brought directly into the home is the best way to help others. They simply show up and offer to bring food, do some yard work, bring Bible study, or sit with their parents to run errands.
“In really dark and difficult situations, when you have someone to guide you spiritually, you can see grace and find healing,” Guinn said. “This helps them understand that God can change these situations for the better, and how God actually works in their lives.”
