Welcome!
This site is designed for adult children caring for an
aging
parent but
most of the material also applies if
you're helping yourspouse,
or assisting a child
or sibling with special needs,
or a friend or family
member.
Here you'll find spirituality,
information and resources for Catholic caregivers.
To read more about the
founders, Monica and Bill
Dodds, go here.
Saturday's celebration of Independence Day has us
thinking about relationships and dependencies. Here in
the United States, July
4 marks the anniversary of the
United States declaring its independence from England.
But, as historians can easily point out, that little
band of thirteen colonies wasn't without need of help
from other countries. And as political scientists have
no trouble showing now, in order to be successful,
countries still rely on strong and loyal allies.
On a much more personal level, there's the
myth of the rugged individual who takes pride in not
needing help from anyone, anytime. It's an appealing
thought -- the stuff of legend -- but it just isn't
true. You don't have to be a care-receiver to need
assistance: no one is totally independent. But when you
find yourself becoming a care-receiver it's a tough blow
to the ego as the independence/interdependence balance
shifts. Sometimes very quickly. Sometimes very
dramatically. And with that change -- with those changes
-- come a host of challenges for the one who needs care
and the one who provides it.
As a caregiver or a care-receiver, you know
that. You're living that.
Monica talks about
independence and interdependence in a video series
titled "From a Care-receiver's Point of View" (which you
can find on our YouTube channel,
JohnTheCaregiver;
or order as a --free!
-- DVD). Here's part one in that series:
- - -
Heading into July also means new material has been
posted at
CatholicCaregivers.com, our sister site that offers
material for dioceses, parishes and other groups. (Free
material, of course.)
This month's
flier is on "How to Nourish Your Spiritual Life."
There are new
Prayers of Intercession for Sunday Masses in July
and two new
Bulletin Briefs.
- - -
Thanks so much to all who donated to our Friends of St.
John the Caregiver "2009
non-event." (No, it's not too late for you look at
the
lighter side of the campaign or to make a
contribution! You can
donate on-line, if you prefer.)
- - -
Again this
week we invite you to join the Friends of St. John the
Caregiver. You can find out more about becoming a member here.
No meetings, no dues. All we ask is that
you pray for caregivers and those receiving care. Our members include
caregivers, care-receivers, and those who support both
(including quite a few former caregivers). You can:
Free Prayer Books:
For free copies
of "The Little Book
of CaregiverPrayers"
and/or "The Stations of the Cross for Caregivers" send a self-addressed stamped envelope to us
at:
Friends of St.
John the Caregiver
P.O. Box 320,
Mountlake
Terrace, WA 98043. (Outside the United States or to
request multiple copies, e-mail
us your information here.)
Parishes
and Dioceses: You'll find
free resource material from
CatholicCaregivers.com here.
"The Basics
of Catholic Caregiving" is available
here. For a list of the
Guidelines for Caregiving, go
here. And information on
"A Catholic Guide to Caring for Your Aging Parent"
can be found here.
4 marks the anniversary of the
United States declaring its independence from England.
But, as historians can easily point out, that little
band of thirteen colonies wasn't without need of help
from other countries. And as political scientists have
no trouble showing now, in order to be successful,
countries still rely on strong and loyal allies.
