- Residents have been stripped of most all their belongings to find themselves in a small room with two beds and a stranger.Residents have been placed in a facility confined within a new set of blank walls.
- Residents most often overnight lost all simple freedoms once known to them, such as when and what to eat, when to sleep, and when to take a bath.
- There are many residents that have been abandoned by their families.
- There are many residents that have outlived their families.
- There are many that have lost their dignity.
- There are many that have lost their sense of self-worth.
- Residents are hungry to hear the word of God.
- Residents are hungry to feel the love of Jesus.
- Residents are hungry to feel that people still care about them.
- Residents are hungry for a friend.
The outside world is missing out on a wealth of knowledge, that can be gained inside the walls of the care facilities. In each room sits a story. A story of a person's life waiting to be shared with a friend.
They can give nothing in monetary value, but what you get is their wisdom, knowledge, appreciation, and love. It is priceless.
Either we take the love of Jesus to them, or we forget they exist. We need to be the Church, the Body of Christ. If we don't take the salvation message to them, many may not enter Heaven's gates and fall into Satan's domain for eternity.
Resources:
1 US Census Bureau
2 The Retirement Project, Richard W. Johnson, Desmond Toohey, and Joshua M. Wiender, May 2007, page v
