Page 12 - Demo

By KATHRYN LORD
Honouring Older People in Care Settings
Honour yourself
There were only nine commandments left in the desert sand after Barbara had got up during the Wondering Time and taken ‘Keep the Sabbath holy’. Perhaps that was the one she liked the best, or perhaps it was annoying her that this plaque was not in a line with the others (she needs things to look ‘just right’). During the Response Time Barbara laid the nine commandments and a large shell on a co ee table and spent half an hour drawing the shell and writing some commandments inside and around a big heart.
Next to her, Alice (who also has dementia as well as very poor hearing and sight) arranged tree blocks, ten of them crowned with shells. Stepping stones in lines of four, six and three lead up to one of the stacks. During the story ‘The Ten Best Ways’ had been laid out in groups of four and six, with a summary of three: Love God, Love others and God loves you. Alice showed the doorperson her arrangement with a beaming smile, thinking back to the time when her teacher had told her that she was ‘no good at art.’
When tidying away, Barbara was happy to exchange the hidden ‘Keep the Sabbath holy’ template with one specially made for her to keep. But by now the shell had also disappeared; jokes and banter led to her playfully pulling out the shell from under her jumper. Barbara was pleased with her nished picture: ‘Do not covet what others have’ was written out three
times along with a new commandment ‘Honour yourself’. Co-prepared tea and biscuits were served. It was a blessing to be part of this special time that was honouring all those who were present.
Honour others
Honouring someone involves o ering profound respect and a place of importance. The opposite of honouring people is trivializing and treating them as if they do not matter. It has not always felt a blessing to visit care homes for older people. Large rooms with chairs up against the walls and a television constantly on in the corner; sta who are overworked or disengaged; and a worship service in which the vicar towers above the seated residents. The honouring and dishonouring experiences have left me passionate to play my part in helping Godly Play to enrich the lives of all concerned. The overarching question for the work I am involved in is: How can Godly Play be the best it can be in showing love and honouring all the participants: the older people, their relatives, the care sta , and the Godly Players?
Mutual Blessings
Mutual Blessings is a local expression of the work of Godly Play in the UK. The purpose of Mutual Blessings is to o er spiritually enriching practices using the method and principles of Godly Play to people of all ages or needs, but especially to those who may be on the edge of the church’s
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the CIRCLE | SEPTEMBER 2017