Caring for a Congregation

“Many of our members are caring for aging parents or neighbors,” says associate Pastor Steve Robertson of chevy chase Presbyterian church. “Our role is to make sure we are doing everything we can to offer the support and encouragement needed to perform these duties well.”

Steve works with the church’s deacons, whose assignments include visiting homebound congregants— from parents of newborns to frail seniors. in recent years, the pastor has worked to “strengthen the conversation with our deacons around their work with older adults.” Recognizing that these lay leaders are not formally trained as case managers, Robertson says, “my hope is they will be critical listeners and direct our members to useful resources in the community.”

One of the most valuable resources is Iona’s Deborah Rubenstein. a licensed clinical social worker and attorney, Deb has 15 years of experience as a geriatric care manager and psychotherapist. In her role as Iona’s Director of Consultation, Care Management and Counseling, Deb and her skilled staff frequently lead trainings at congregations.

In fact, Iona’s relationship with the faith community goes back to its founding 36 years ago when three local churches (St. Columba’s episcopal, St. Ann’s Roman Catholic and Eldbrooke United Methodist) joined forces to create an organization that would provide information to people in need. Soon after, Iona’s board voted to focus on older adults, regardless of their ability to pay. Today, 33 faith communities are part of the Iona family.

Increasingly, congregations are turning to Iona to learn how to support aging members and their caregivers. Paula Jennings was on hand recently when Deb spoke to a group at chevy chase Presbyterian. The discussion focused on a broad range of issues from progressive care to the emotional toll on caregivers. “Iona made it comfortable to speak openly and to ask questions—no matter how poignant they were,” said Paula. “By the end of the presentation, I was not only considering the needs of my mother and mother- in-law, but beginning to think ahead to a time when my husband and I would be facing our own issues relating to aging.”