Spiritual Care: A Guide for Caregivers (16 page)

Questionable science. From a scientific perspective, proponents of
energy-based touch therapies vacillate between two extremes.
Some advocates dismiss science entirely and claim the effectiveness of these therapies through anecdotal evidence alone. Others
have attempted to use scientific research to measure the effectiveness of Therapeutic Touch. Results, however, remain inconclusive? Although a few advocates have tried to describe this energy
as physical (e.g., as electromagnetic fields), most simply assume
that it is spiritual and cannot be measured.

An energy-based worldview is not necessary to explain why
Therapeutic Touch seems to work. Positive results of Therapeutic
Touch and other energy-based therapies can be explained scientifically. For example, human touch, caring presence and a sense of
hope can release brain chemicals that promote relaxation and
healing. On the other hand, a growing body of research has indicated that the long-term effects of Therapeutic Touch and the
meditative states that accompany it may, in fact, be physically and
psychologically harmful."

Ethical issues. Furthermore, serious ethical issues arise when
using energy-based touch therapies. A clear violation of professional ethics occurs whenever a health care professional uses such
a procedure without consent." The ethical issues remain when the
person consents but is not fully informed about the rationale or
spiritual beliefs behind the procedure. By relating Therapeutic
Touch to the church's practice of "laying on of hands,"" Sue, the
nurse in the case study, misrepresented the therapy and violated
her patient's spiritual integrity.

Therapeutic Touch and other energy-based touch therapies continue to gain adherents in nursing and the general public.
Experience is a persuasive teacher. Those who have become convinced of the value of energy-based therapies through their own
participation in them will probably not be swayed by these arguments. However, because there are such major theological, ethical
and practical issues at stake, Christians must be wary of Therapeutic Touch.

If we believe that Jesus is the only way to salvation and that the
gospel is truly good news to sinful humanity, then we need to
wake up and take notice of accounts such as one man's experience
with energy-based therapy for his problem with tooth-grinding,
reported in Tune magazine. He writes:

I got more from mind-body medicine than I bargained for. I got
religion.... The spirituality of it ambushed me. Unwittingly, I was
engaging in a practice that has been at the heart of religious mysticism for millenniums.... The God I have found is common to
Moses and Muhammad, to Buddha and Jesus.... It is what the
Cabala calls Ayin, Nothingness, No-Thingness. It is Spirit, Being,
the All."

Therapeutic Touch is not a neutral technique. In many ways it
is idolatry, because it flirts with spiritual powers and systems that
God has warned us to shun. It is not an appropriate alternative for
Christians, even as a last resort for a dying patient, for in the process of trying to bring temporary comfort we may lead people into
spiritually dangerous territory. Instead, in the name of Jesus
Christ, we can offer all the resources of the church--a view of
reality shaped by the Bible, healing prayer, healthy human relationships that include caring touch, practical support, a worshiping community and the hope of eternal life.

The Christian tradition holds a rich treasure in health and heal ing. The Bible and the practices of the church point us to the
means of grace and the hope of glory, equipping us for the work of
healing. The sacraments, prayer, anointing with oil, the laying on
of hands, the gifts of the Spirit, and mutual encouragement give us
concrete actions to take and the assurance of God's presence with
us. Each of these acts directs us to God as the source of healing
and hope.

Rather than turning to other belief systems for alternative therapies, Christians need to be acting on and promoting what they
already know and have in Christ. Many churches work toward
this end by establishing congregational health programs and helping people form supportive relationships (with plenty of hugs).
Healing services invite people to come for one-to-one prayer, the
laying on of hands and anointing with oil. Lay prayer ministries,
as well as pastoral care and deaconal ministries, where church
members receive individual attention, provide significant personal
support for people facing the reality of suffering. Within the context of healthy relationships in the believing community, people
can experience the warmth of intimacy and appropriate physical
touch. We can also reach out to those in our care with gentle
touch that communicates presence and love.

Betty had known the time was coming for several months. Her
mother, Sophie, had grown increasingly confused. Sophie had
lived alone and managed quite well for years. Her house and yard
always looked immaculate. She especially prided herself on her
flowering plants. Until recently, Sophie had watched her younger
daughter Alice's children while Alice worked. Then one day her
two-year-old grandson Timmy wandered onto the highway. A
panicked driver stopped and walked him to the door. Sophie had
forgotten Timmy was there.

A week later Sophie got into her car and drove thirty-five miles.
When she finally stopped, she did not know where she was or
where she had come from. Police notified Alice after finding her
phone number on a scrap of paper in Sophie's pocketbook.
Finally, Alice called Betty in tears, asking, "What can we do?"

Betty was single and was feeling restless in her job. She felt ready for a change and concerned about leaving her mother at
home alone. Neither she nor Alice wanted to put their mother into
a nursing home at this point. So Betty quit her job in another state
and moved three hundred miles back home to care for her mother.

At first things went fairly well. Betty enjoyed having extra time
for reading and Bible study. She' caught up on dozens of projects
that she had ignored while she was working. She found interesting things to do around the house, and she helped Sophie maintain
her flowers and shrubs. Although Betty quickly tired of hearing
the same stories over and over again, she learned to mentally turn
off her hearing and feign interest. It did annoy her when she told
her mother something important, only to be asked ten minutes
later about the same thing. But most of the time Sophie was pleasant and easy to handle. Betty would take Sophie out shopping,
visiting and to church.

As Sophie's condition continued to deteriorate, she did not have
the physical stamina to walk far. A wheelchair helped for a while,
but soon her behavior became disruptive in public situations.
Betty stopped going out except when Alice could relieve her for a
few hours. With Alice's full-time job and active family, though,
those times were limited.

Betty began to feel like a prisoner in her own home. She had
few friends in the community, and all of them worked full-time.
Even her church seemed like a different place from before she
moved away twenty years ago. The pastor stopped by to visit
once, but Betty did not feel that she knew him well enough to
share her concerns with him. Caring for her mother made it difficult to become involved with any small group activities at church
or to establish relationships with others in the congregation. Even
the neighbors were new, and they kept to themselves.

How many "Bettys" do you know? In this time of managed care, with its decreasing benefits, a large number of family caregivers are finding themselves feeling stuck at home, shouldering a
heavy burden alone. Galatians tells us, "Bear one another's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ" (6:2). The
"law of Christ" is clearly stated by Jesus: "'You shall love the
Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and
with all your mind.' This is the greatest and first commandment.
And a second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself"'
(Mt 22:37-39).

How can we love the family caregivers in our congregation and
our community as we love ourselves? There are some concrete
actions we can take to show them love, but all of them call for a
high level of compassion and commitment. First, we can offer
respite -providing a few hours when the caregiver can get away.
Second, we can provide friendship and support. Third, we can
help caregivers recognize their own needs as well as the needs of
the person in their care. Fourth, we can become aware of
resources within the church and the community to meet the needs
that we assess.

Elaine was a widow in her mid-sixties who cared for her ninetyyear-old mother, Harriet, after a stroke. It was hard physical
work. The stroke had paralyzed Harriet's left side and affected her
speech and emotions. Although she could speak, many of her
words were inappropriate and hard to understand. When Elaine
did not respond immediately to her every request, she would bang
on the table, shouting at Elaine, then sob uncontrollably. Elaine
found herself responding in kind, and she hated herself for doing
it.

On one particularly difficult day, Bob and Ginny, a couple who had been long-time friends with Elaine and her husband, stopped
by to visit. Elaine poured out her frustrations to them. Then Harriet demanded that Elaine come back to her bedroom to tend to
her. While Elaine was out of the room Bob and Ginny discussed
her situation. It felt so familiar to them. They had cared for Bob's
mother in their home for years, facing similar frustrations. They
came up with a plan.

When Elaine returned, apologizing profusely, Bob told her,
"Elaine, we think we can help. We cared for my mom, so we're not
intimidated by your mother's needs. We've also known her most of
our lives, so I don't think she'd feel uncomfortable around us. We
don't have any plans for this afternoon. Why don't you just get in
your car and go shopping, or do whatever you want to do for a
couple of hours. We'll stay here while you're gone. What's more,
we'd like to do this every Tuesday afternoon, if that's okay with
you.

Getting away made Elaine feel like a different person. She
experienced a new sense of freedom and could reset her emotional
reactions. When she came home, she could be more patient with
her mother. The hope for another respite the following week kept
her going. Suddenly she no longer felt trapped.

Mark Henry, pastor of St. James Church, developed another
approach to providing respite through the church. He knew of
several family caregivers tending elderly parents or spouses with
Alzheimer's, and all of them felt trapped and frustrated. Mark
organized a cooperative respite at the church, along with a group
of women who met weekly to quilt. The quilters served lunch and
light refreshments, as well as organizing simple entertainment
such as hymn sings, barbershop quartets and programs by children from the church preschool. The caregivers brought their
charges and took turns either staying to assist with care or having the time free. Those who stayed appreciated the time with other
caregivers and a break from the monotony of the daily routine.

The need for respite also becomes crucial in families with disabled children. Linda Treloar, mother of a disabled daughter,
explains:

We relocated to Arizona when Joy was ten. Although the warmer
climate allowed more freedom of movement for our daughter in a
motorized wheelchair, little else encouraged positive growth in our
family. Through the years, we seldom had a date, an evening out or
a vacation. Why? Because persons with disabilities have physical
care needs which often require lifting and use of special equipment.
People are fearful that their caregiving skills are inadequate, or
that they will hurt themselves in lifting the person with disabilities.
Families fear that a caregiver could sue them should an injury or
alleged injury occur.