a middle-aged white man and woman hold hands. the woman is sitting in a wheelchair.

Care & Support

Caring for families and people with disabilities and mental illness includes offering a supportive presence in times of storm and calm. In times of crisis, we don’t have to have answers, but we do have to hold space for the questions, struggles, and pain. When the crisis has passed, the caregivers and disabled members of the community still need support. Faith communities can provide ongoing care in a sustainable way that meets the needs of disabled people and their caregivers by creating a personalized network of encouragement, practical assistance, bearing witness, and education.

Tips for Supporting an Individual with a Disability & Their Caregivers

  • Create a network of support for the person with a disability and their caregivers.
    • Assign a few people as Communicators, who will communicate the needs of the caregivers and disabled person with the rest of the network.
    • A Circle of Care (Supportive Care group) is a comprehensive support network individualized for families facing life-long disabilities of a family member. ADN’s book, Supportive Care in the Congregation, outlines the vision and provides guidance for establishing such a group. Another book, Circles of Love, tells stories from congregations that have implemented this vision and been blessed in the process.
  • Receive training to care for the disabled person. Create a schedule of trained individuals to provide time off to caregivers.
  • Provide a meal for the family periodically.

Resources

Resources from Others

National Alliance for Caregiving is a non-profit coalition of national organizations focusing on advancing family caregiving through research, innovation, and advocacy.

Family Caregiver Alliance is a public voice for caregivers, illuminating the daily challenges they face and assisting through education, services, research and advocacy. Family Care Navigator is a state-by-state, online guide to help families locate government, nonprofit, and private caregiver support programs.

Caregiver Action Network is a grass roots organization created to educate, support, empower and speak up for the millions of Americans who care for chronically ill, aged or disabled loved ones. NFCA deals with the variety of different diagnoses, different relationships and different life stages to address the common needs and concerns of all family caregivers.

Formed Together: Mystery, Narrative, and Virtue in Christian Caregiving by Keith Dow. A theological and Biblical exploration of Christian care. Keith considers why we should, and why we do, care for one another; and what it means to be interdependent, created in the image of a loving God. Based on scholarly resources and his own experience of supporting people with intellectual disabilities.

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