Come in, come in and sit down : seniors in long term care and the local congregation of the United Church of Canada

Abstract

Come in, come in and sit down—you are a part of the family.1 We sing this hymn and we mean it—we want people to come in and be comfortable and to join us in worship. But when part of the family can no longer attend church services—when a senior citizen leaves their home to go into long-term care—maybe we need to take the church community to them. This paper explores how the move to long-term care affects the relationship with the United Church congregation and the senior’s spiritual needs. Seniors want the connection with their friends and their church family. As important as worship is, the visit and the connection to the community is just as important. Seniors appreciate knowing they are still part of the family of their congregation. As United Church congregations, we need to establish Pastoral Care teams and make a concerted effort to stay connected with our senior members once they have retired to long-term care facilities.