Geriatric Ministry A Niche For Volunteers

By Nancy K. Crevier

There are many challenges that come with aging — physical, mental, and spiritual and emotional, as well.

Masonicare at Newtown has always addressed these challenges, and since 1993, has provided increased support for the spiritual needs of residents through the Lay Training in Geriatric Ministry program directed by Chaplain Anne Baltzell, an ordained American Methodist minister and director of spiritual services at Masonicare of Newtown and Masonicare Health Center in Wallingford.

Training for lay ministry began as a ten-week program, but Chaplain Baltzell soon realized that the information could be relayed to the volunteers in eight-week sessions of 2½ hours a week.

“People are asked to commit to four hours a week for a year upon completion of training,” said Chaplain Baltzell, “but they make such incredible connections with the residents, that some have stayed on six years or longer.”

The ideal candidate for a geriatric lay minister, she said, is someone truly interested in ministering to older adults, who is open to learning, is spiritually centered, and who has a heartfelt compassion for others. What a lay minister does not need is a degree in theology or divinity, or even an in-depth knowledge of religion. A lay minister should also arrive without an agenda and realize that this is not an opportunity for proselytizing.

“We do not accept into the lay ministry program those who want to push a certain religious belief. People of all faiths are welcome to become ministers, and we minister to residents of many different faiths,” said Chaplain Baltzell.

When assessing applications for the program, Chaplain Baltzell also looks for candidates who can learn to engage in active listening, recognize body language, and tune into others’ needs. “We want those who can learn to establish a genuine rapport and trust level that opens up communication,” she said.

Each eight-week session focuses on these gifts and skills, and also teaches lay minister trainees the philosophy and theology of pastoral care and addresses issues particular to ministering to the elderly and infirm.

“I teach about ministering to those with dementia and about ethical issues that might arise,” said Chaplain Baltzell. Ministry to the dying and dealing with death are sensitive issues that arise when the elderly are involved, she said, and continuous support is offered to lay ministers during monthly meetings that follow the training session.

Currently, there are three trained lay ministers — Mary Anne Napier of Newtown, Barbara Bigham of Oxford, and Anne McWhirter of Monroe — providing comfort to residents of Masonicare at Newtown, seven fewer than what the chaplain considers ideal.

“Each lay minister is assigned ten rooms, and asked to visit those residents at least twice a month,” said Chaplain Baltzell. “That can vary depending on the needs of the individuals. We are flexible, though, with the lay ministers’ schedules, and we are very respectful, too, of what our residents want at any time,” she added.

“It’s a wonderful program. I’ve been a lay minister for almost two years,” said Ms McWhirter, a retired banker. “To me, it’s a spiritual walk with the residents. It’s a very caring program and ministry that allows me to give back to the wonderful people who have come before us,” she said.

Like many lay ministers, Ms McWhirter has seen her own spiritual growth develop as she ministers to the residents. She is part of the Stephen Ministry at Trinity in Newtown, which provides one-on-one emotional and spiritual care to troubled individuals. She also assists at the weekly Wednesday afternoon worship service conducted by Chaplain Baltzell at Masonicare at Newtown.

“It enables me to meet with a lot of different residents, not just the ones from the ten rooms I am assigned. I’ve learned a lot about different faiths through my conversations with the residents,” Ms McWhirter said.

The challenge for her, said Ms McWhirter, is the loss of a resident to death. “We all experience that and it’s hard,” she admitted.

Chaplain Baltzell agreed that loss is a challenging piece of geriatric ministry.

“Myself, it’s difficult to watch people decline, with whom I’ve developed a friendship over a period of time,” she said. Support is important for the lay ministers and herself, and a small class size for each training session means that the monthly meetings offer a safe space for dealing with losses, sorting out difficult issues, and makes for a very cohesive group.

“You just don’t walk out on your friends,” declared lay minister Barbara Bigham, as to why she has continued her ministry beyond the requested one year commitment. “I had heard about Anne’s program many years ago and thought that it was something I would want to do when I retired,” said Ms Bigham. She kept that promise to herself five years ago and has enjoyed her service immensely. “I never walk out of there that I don’t feel 100 times better than I did walking in. I have developed some wonderful, deep relationships with the residents,” she said.

Ms Bigham may help people get in touch with relatives, write cards, read the Bible or poetry, or just tell jokes during the time she is visiting, she said. She and Ms Napier also lead an occasional small group Bible study for a number of interested residents. “I think that the residents like that someone is taking the time to listen,” she said.

Ms Napier went through the lay minister training two years ago while fulfilling a community service requirement for seminary training. She has since become an ordained interdenominational minister. “I guess I do consider myself deeply spiritual,” she said, “but I think that most of the people who go through lay ministry training do this just because they want to help.”

Lay ministry has been a wonderful opportunity for her, said Ms Napier, “and the training was terrific. There is so much support after you go through training, and you are never left out to dry.”

As she ministers to the spiritual needs of the residents at Masonicare at Newtown, she finds herself more on the receiving than the giving end. “It is such a satisfying and rewarding kind of service. The wisdom expressed by the residents is incredible,” she said.

There are times when people discover that lay ministry is not right for them after they have gone through training, said Chaplain Baltzell, and she is sensitive to the decision that might be made to seek a different path.

“A person must be able to make the commitment and have the ability to take time in daily life to do the ministry,” she said. “It is a sizable commitment. But it is a niche that suits certain people.”

Chaplain Baltzell is eager to begin a new training session this spring. The starting date for the training program, however, depends on the number of queries and suitable applicants that are received.

To learn more about the lay geriatric ministry program at Masonicare at Newtown, contact Chaplain Anne Baltzell at 203-679-6257.