Valuing seniors as a great asset to our Christian community.
 

Purpose
We support connections with seniors that honor their contributions and encourage significant conversations with their family and church.

Plans

• Encourage end-of-Life conversations with families and all to have an advance directive.

• Encourage congregations to ensure every senior has a weekly connection with someone in the church.

Synod Council Liaison
Connie Johnson

Synod Staff
Pr. Mark A. Anderson

 Resources and Programs

The Ministry on Aging Network can help bring educational resources and programs about aging to churches of the Northeastern Iowa Synod.
 

PowerPoint Presentations
Three PowerPoint outlines are available to accompany hour-long lecture/discussions led by church groups or members of the Ministry on Aging (MOA) Network: 

• Ministry To and With Older Adults

• Family Caregiving

• End-of-Life Considerations

Powerful Tools for Caregivers
Coordinated through the Iowa State University Extension, this six-part educational program is taught by trained facilitators to empower family caregivers of adults to take care of themselves. The MOA Network can help set up the program for interested churches.

Home & Community-Based Assistance for Older Iowans
Synod churches can arrange for this one- to two-hour program about the types of home care services that are available for older Iowans and how to obtain them. The program is presented free of charge by staff from Iowa's Area Agencies on Aging or the Wartburg College Social Work Institute.

Detecting and Reporting Medicare Fraud/Abuse
This program helps participants learn about  Medicare fraud and abuse, and how they can recognize and report it. Presenters from the Iowa Senior Medicare Patrol project can bring this program to area church groups at no cost.

The Savvy Caregiver
This set of four one-hour video programs and 160-page training manual was developed by the University of Minnesota and Healthcare Interactive, Inc. to help family members and professionals meet the challenges of caring for someone with Alzheimer's disease. The DVDs and manual are available for use by synod churches at no cost, courtesy of the Wartburg College Institute for Social Work Consultation, Research and Training.
 

End-of-Life Planning: Five Wishes
Developed by the non-profit organization Aging with Dignity, Five Wishes is an easy-to-use legal document that lets adults plan how they want to be cared for if they become seriously ill. Bill Straka of the MOA Network offers to provide a short instructional presentation of the document to congregations, or assist in doing that. Call 319-236-1716 or send Bill an email.  
 

Technical Assistance to Churches
The MOA Work Group can arrange for professional assistance to help churches organize services and support groups for older adults and their families.   

For more information or to arrange
for a presentation, contact:

Lynn Peters
Social Work Department
Wartburg College
319-352-8472
www.wartburg.edu/socwork/aging.html
or send an email.