Music and its power to connect to persons with memory loss have long been recognized. Chaplains who minister to those living with this condition have another strong way to connect. People can be brought back to spiritual awareness when presented with prayers and rituals of their past.
“Faith is about connection to God and others, so it’s very important to keep them connected to faith,” the Rev. Christopher Wolf, M.Div., says. “It serves as an anchor.”
Wolf is the staff chaplain at Christian Health in Wyckoff, NJ. On the other side of the country, Rabbi Daniel Isaacson, director of spiritual care services at Jewish Family and Children’s Services (JFCS) in the San Francisco Bay Area, agrees.
“It’s important for people living with memory loss to connect to themselves on a soul level, that deep level of self that is still familiar, to support whatever in religious ritual is still in them. Being Jewish is as much a part of being a family and a people as a religion.”
Connection to God can be many different things in the Jewish religion, Isaacson says, adding that the articles of faith, like rituals, are still an element within the person.
THE POWER OF TRADITION
“Rituals ignite that early familiar memory that is part of them and seep down to the soul of the Jewish person. It invokes a connection to God if they’ve lived their life that way. God is relational, very relational in Judaism. This suggests we are still in relationship with God. The holidays gave them a spark early on, so hearing the shofar is a sensory experience,” Isaacson says. A shofar is a ram’s horn trumpet sounded at Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
On Friday night, he says the blessing on the dementia floor at JFCS’ assisted living community. “It kind of lights up a recognition.” The Shema — Listen, Israel, the Lord is one God — connects them to their Jewish religion. “Few prayers are as universal.”
Study on Saturday morning involves use of the Torah scroll, an object people recognize, he says, and on some level feel I know God is in the room. “It’s picked up with everything, I’m in a Jewish place and in a safe place and part of a group. God is watching over this place — even if it’s not conscious thought.”
Andrea Korsunsky, director of JFCS’s Center for Dementia Care and Care Management, says performing the rituals of Friday night Shabbat sparks the connection.
“When you light a candle and give them challah (braided bread eaten on the Sabbath and holidays), you’re helping a person who’s feeling lost to ground themselves. They feel, I know this. This has meaning to me. We’re connecting even if they might not know us all the time.”
She suggests that caregivers make any day Friday night if it calms the person and awakens comforting feelings from the past.
“Use symbols and gestures to make them feel safe.”
Wolf has similar experiences.
“So often during Bible studies and worship services, many of our residents may not know or remember the Scripture we are reading, but suddenly you will see them singing every word of a hymn.”
Each week he leads interactive Bible studies and worship services accompanied by music. He calls the response amazing.
“Residents tell stories, share insights, answer questions, laugh, sing and more. Sometimes they are quiet and listen. Often after these events, they express gratitude and appreciation.”
BRINGING SPIRITUALITY HOME
Wolf offers advice for caregivers to connect spiritually at home.
“They can do three key things. First, pray for them and then pray with them. It can be simple — it’s the act — sacred and connecting. Second, from time to time, read familiar Bible passages (Psalm 23; “The Lord’s Prayer”; Luke 15, “The Prodigal Son”; John 3:16) and leave some space for their loved ones to speak about them. Finally, play familiar hymns and invite them to listen or sing along. It’s a beautiful way to connect to God, and it seems to be something residents remember well.”
Wolf says taking your person to a church service to connect them to God may not be as helpful.
“While well-intended, I would recommend caution. Some things to consider would be their comfort with new activities, being around groups, and their ability to sit for an hour or so. In our experience here at Christian Health, the services are predictable, in the same space and there’s assistance. These important factors may be challenging to find at a typical church.”
TRAUMA AND RELIGION
Isaacson suggests that caregivers for Jewish memory loss persons be mindful that rituals can trigger trauma for some, like Holocaust survivors.
“It’s a sensitive thing to bring up, being Jewish, if being Jewish was mortally dangerous. It’s terrifying to witness that and go through the experience with them. It requires a lot of sensitivity to know someone’s past or they can be retraumatized.”
Korsunsky said if she and other staff members are aware of past trauma, she will observe and adapt the environment to foster feelings of safety and familiarity with Jewish symbols and objects to demonstrate it’s safe to be open about Jewish identity.” She also educates the caregivers, most of whom are not Jewish, to be sensitive to possible triggers.
Trauma can also be a consideration for other religions.
A PRECIOUS GIFT
Mark S., a nephew of one of Korsunsky’s memory loss patients, appreciates having people who care about the spiritual life of his aunt.
“We aren’t very observant, but JFCS has brought us together for Jewish rituals that provide us a way to connect with Ellen in these late stages of her disease, where connection feels impossible.”
This article appeared in Alzheimer’s TODAY, Volume 20, Number 2