The following article is part of a four-part series that is due to run in the Rockdale Citizen religion section.

By Joe LaGuardia

Ever since its inception, Trinity Baptist Church has been a congregation that reaches out to caregivers in the community.  We have had all kinds of caregivers—from professional caregivers who work in medical fields to informal caregivers who care for friends, elderly parents, special needs relatives, and spouses—pass through our doors and participate in our ministries.

When I came on board at Trinity in 2003, I realized how important the caregiving ministry was, not only for Trinity, but also for the many families who found themselves caring for loved ones throughout Rockdale County.  It did not take long for our caregivers to start meeting regularly in various homes to share a meal and encouragement.  Since then we have had a seminar or two, prayer groups, and even a short-term support group especially for caregivers.

Our caregivers have taught me much along the way, and over the next few weeks, I hope to share with you the various concerns that confront many caregivers.  Here’s a good start: The Caregiver Resource Center states that informal caregiving happens in 1 of every 4 American households.  That number is expected to double in 2 years when 11 million baby-boomers reach senior status.  This statistic comes at a time when people are working more hours to compensate for the economy, trying to raise children in a culture that is sometimes hostile to families, and searching for a sliver of free time for recreation and some sense of normalcy.

Despite all of these obligations, caregivers often find themselves to be a lonely and isolated bunch.  Many caregivers start helping others in minor tasks: driving someone to the store once a week or doing a load of laundry now and then.  Over time, as a loved one ages or becomes more dependent, the tasks become more demanding.  The caregiver cannot give as much time to other activities, such as church and a favorite hobby.  Eventually caregiving takes over the life of the caregiver, and she finds herself isolated from the support systems that once helped keep things in perspective.

Caregiving becomes a second (and, if you include raising a family, a third) “job” that sucks up all available time, energy, and resources.  And in long-term care, the support systems—including churches—cease the calls, send fewer cards, and visit less often.  Researchers have discovered that this level of caregiving can result in loneliness and depression. This is especially the case for caregivers who help meet the needs of Alzheimer’s or dementia-stricken care receivers.

But there is hope.  I have poured through study after study that show that by tending to one’s spiritual life and taking time to care for one’s own needs, a caregiver can seek the power of God to overcome the various burdens with which she struggles.

Studies also suggest that having a type of support system that understands what the caregiver is going through can be an effective way to make it through the most stressful situations.  You know the type of support I’m talking about—not people who give unsolicited advice, cheap clichés, or cheesy religious quips—but other caregivers who know how to listen and understand the situation because they’ve “been there, done that.”  Caregiving can be a furnace of spiritual growth in which a heart of gold is cast; but, like Daniel in the Bible, it helps if you are not in the furnace alone.

Over the next several weeks, I hope to dialogue with you, dear Reader, about the things that caregivers care about.  I encourage you to connect by email or check out the caregiver resource page at www.joelagauardia.com as we will look at several pressing issues, which include a caregiver’s calling (vocation), role reversals, grief that comes with the loss of a care receiver, and types of spiritual practices that can initiate an active and healthy relationship with God even during the busiest of days.  For now, if you are a caregiver, just know that you are not alone.