Reference Resources - Section 14

Bibliography

The following books and resources may be of significant interest and assistance to those involved in some way with care facility ministry. Several of these listed were recommended to us on the website of Faithful Friends Nursing Home Ministry ( http://www.faithfulfriends.org ).

Adelsperger, Charlotte. Effective Encouragement. Cincinnati, Ohio: Standard Publishing, 1986.

Bolton, Joy L. Ideas for Nursing Home Ministries. Birmingham, Alabama: Woman's Missionary Union, 1990.

Carson, Margaret. Who's Taking Care of Mom and Dad? Michael S. Andrews Publishing, 2001, 7122 S. Sheridan Rd., Suite 2, Number 102, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74133. michaelsandrews.com. A very readable and informative resource, equally suitable for family and professional caregivers.

Creating a Successful Senior Adult Ministry, produced by the Senior Saints Ministry of Thomas Road Baptist Church, 701 Thomas Road, Lynchburg, Virginia 24502. A comprehensive, 290 page guide for the local church doing ministry with and for seniors, including nursing home visitation and outreach.

Dymski, J. Daniel. A Caregiver's Companion - Ministering to Older Adults. Notre Dame, Indiana: Ave Maria Press, 1997.

Eppinga, Jacob D. As Long as I Live. Grand Rapids, Michigan: CRC Publications, 1993.

Goodrich, Bill & McCormick, Tom. Nursing Home Ministry. Published by God Cares Ministry, 33399 Walker Rd., Suite A, Avon Lake, OH, 44012. Phone: (440) 930-2173. A comprehensive tool for nursing home ministry. Recommended for volunteers, pastors, nurses, and activity directors. Drawing from many years of personal involvement in long-term care ministry, the authors offer a wealth of practical advice along with many moving stories. Based on a strong Biblical foundation.

Gospel of John- In Large Print, NIV, Lutheran Braille Workers, Inc., P.O. Box 5000, Yucaipa, California 92399. Many other great resources for the blind and those with poor eyesight.

The Sonshine Society. P.O. Box 327, Lynnwood, Washington 98046-0327 (Founded 1976). Phone: (425)-353-4732. Website: http://www.sonshinesociety.org. A great source for affordable nursing home ministry resources! Large print hymn books, large print devotional books, a book of Bible lesson plans, large print scripture books and pamphlets, large print tracts and greeting cards.

Haugk, Kenneth C. Christian Caregiving- A Way of Life. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Augsburg Publishing House, 1984.

Hauser, Roger L. Activities with Senior Adults. Nashville, Tennessee: Broadman Press, 1987. Provides unique programming ideas for activities and services for a creative senior adults' ministry. May be especially helpful for the population of a retirement facility.

Kinman, Chaplin Dwight L. Love Thy Neighbor Ministries. P.O. Box 386, Canby, Oregon 97013.

Miller, Dorothy. A Song for Grandmother. Hemet, California: Jeremiah Books, 1990. Also available in video form. Phone: 1-800-828-2290.

Montgomery, Herb & Mary. Beyond Sorrow - Christian Reflections on Death and Grief. Montgomery Press, 1991, P.O. Box 24124, Minneapolis, MN 55424. "Though death has shattered our lives, we can pick up the pieces." This book is an attempt at helping the grieving survivor to resume life with new wisdom and beauty of spirit.

Morgan, Richard L. No Wrinkles On the Soul, order # 610, Upper Room Books, 1908 Grand Ave., Nashville, TN 37212. A book of devotional readings specifically for older adults, chiseling away at the subject of aging, bringing shiny new faces to older adult life, currently $10.00 each. Toll-free order line: 800-972-0433.

Morgan, Richard L. With Faces to the Evening Sun, order # 826, Upper Room Books, 1908 Grand Ave., Nashville, TN 37212. 54 meditations written especially for nursing home residents and their families, offering a new vision of the nursing home, "where living is something more than dying," currently $12.00 each. Toll-free order line: 800-972-0433.

New LifeStyles. Corporate Communicators, Inc. 4144 North Central Expressway, Suite 1000, Dallas, Texas 75204. An area directory to senior residences and care options in pamphlet form. Various issues, updated semi-annually, tailored to specific localities throughout the United States. For a free copy call them at 800-820-3013 or visit their web site at www.NewLifeStyles.com.

Seniors' Devotional Bible, New International Version. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1995.

The Upper Room - Large Print, bimonthly, daily devotional publication; P.O. Box 37153, Boone, IA 50037 - 2153; yearly subscription currently $8.95. Phone: 800-972-0433.

Williams, James D. In the Company of Others. Nashville, Tennessee: Convention Press, 1988.

Wright, Norman H. Recovering from the Losses of Life. Fleming H. Revell, 1995. Encouragement and practical guidance for anyone who has experienced profound loss in their life.

Related Web Sites

Administration on Aging (AoA) - http://www.aoa.gov/
The Administration on Aging (AoA) web site is designed to provide a comprehensive overview of a wide variety of topics, programs and services related to aging. Whether you are an older individual, a caregiver, a community service provider, a researcher, or a student, you will find valuable information provided in a user-friendly way. A government agency. Excellent information.

American Health Care Association - "AHCA" - http://www.ahca.org
The American Health Care Association (AHCA) is a federation of 50 state health organizations, together representing nearly 12,000 non-profit and for-profit assisted living, nursing facility, long term care, and subacute care providers that care for more than one million elderly and disabled individuals nationally.

Christian Association of Senior Adults - "CASA" - http://www.gocasa.org
Christian Association of Senior Adults' vision is to develop and provide ministry resources and leadership training for pastors and leaders of seniors ministries; and to encourage outreach and evangelism, service and assimilation, fellowship and spiritual/personal growth for all middle [50-69] and mature [70+] adults.

Desert Ministries - http://www.desertministries.org
Desert Ministries is a non-profit organization that reaches into care facilities such as elderly nursing homes, intermediate care facilities for the mentally retarded (ICFMR), rehabilitation units and psychiatric units for children. Since August 1992, Desert Ministries has worked to give hope and love to people who feel like they are in a desert-like condition: hopeless, isolated and discarded by society because of Alzheimer's disease, advanced age, terminal illness, depression and other maladies.

Eldersource - http://www.eldersourceinfo.org/
As a free service to elder care facilities in the United States and Canada, ElderSource partners with facility activity directors to develop effective volunteer-based one-to-one and group ministries, featuring a Resource Pack of Christian-based audio/video materials. If you are an activity director, contact Eldersource today for their excellent, free materials!

Faithful Friends Nursing Home Ministry - http://www.faithfulfriends.org
Faithful Friends' mission is to spread the love and message of Jesus Christ in the nursing home environment, providing support and encouragement by regular visits of caring Christians. They support other interested groups and churches with training, multimedia ministry materials, and assistance in recruiting volunteers. This is the patriarch of nursing home ministries on the web. To this site all others are compared!

Federal Interagency Forum on Aging Related Statistics: Older Americans 2008-- http://www.agingstats.gov
This website is provided for all to access the federal government's statistical evaluation of the key indicators of well-being for older Americans in 2004. There are free .pdf files, power point files and MS Excel files that you can download. If you are curious about the impact the "babyboomer" effect will have on the demographics of long-term care, you will find a great reference here. Every conceivable category is covered thoroughly. A few short glimpses at the charts and tables afford a startling perspective on the realities we face as nursing home ministers.

God Cares Ministry, 33399 Walker Rd., Suite A, Avon Lake, OH, 44012. Phone: (440) 930-2173.- http://www.godcaresministry.net
This is a dynamic ministry led by Chaplain Bill Goodrich. They serve the needs of volunteers who want to share the love and word of our Lord Jesus with the people in long term care centers.

Love Your Neighbor Ministries - http://www.lyn.org/
Love Your Neighbor Ministries exists to equip the church to reach out in compassion to people in care settings . . . including hospitals, nursing homes, retirement communities, hospice care and private homes.

Nursing Home Ministries - http://www.nursinghomeministries.com/
The goal of Nursing Home Ministries is to reach out to adult care facilities in America with the love of the Lord. Through commissioned chaplains and volunteers, they are gaining access to and ministering in hundreds of adult care facilities throughout the USA.

Sharing Jesus Ministries - http://www.sharingjesusministry.org/
Nursing home ministers doing non-denominational services to meet the spiritual needs of a diverse population. Many good links.

Sonshine Society - http://www.sonshinesociety.org/
"The Sonshine Society is an interdenominational organization for the purpose of challenging local churches and individual Christians to provide a consistent and effective Christian witness to people who, due to age or physical impairment, are unable to participate in the worship and instructional services of the Christian church." This is the premier nursing home ministry in America! They have the most comprehensive battery of resources and tools for care facility ministry in the world! And they are really humble children of the King.

The National Institute on Aging (NIA) - http://www.nih.gov/nia/health/
The NIA, one of the 25 institutes and centers of the National Institutes of Health, leads a broad scientific effort to understand the nature of aging and to extend the healthy, active years of life. In 1974, Congress granted authority to form the National Institute on Aging to provide leadership in aging research, training, health information dissemination, and other programs relevant to aging and older people. Subsequent amendments to this legislation designated the NIA as the primary federal agency on
Alzheimer's Disease research. Excellent information on illnesses specific to aging.

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