Congregation-based teams of intergenerational volunteers provide individualized social, emotional, practical, and spiritual support to individuals and families affected by a disabling physical or neurological condition.  The formation of mutually caring relationships is the basis of the Care Team^® program, not the specific tasks or forms of assistance and support team members provide.  The activities of team members are coordinated by team leaders and supervised by the professional staff of Interfaith CarePartners. 

The Care Team types indicate the populations and needs team members are equipped to serve. 

Alzheimer’s Care Team^® – individuals with dementia or other cognitive impairment and their caregivers

Second Family Care Team^® – individuals with physical impairments due to disease, trauma, or advanced age

Kids’ Pals Care Team^® – families with an impaired child in the home

AIDS Care Team^® – individuals with HIV/AIDS

A Care Team^® Story

The story of the first care partner of the Alzheimer’s Care Team^® at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church is one that illustrates the strong bonds that underlie the day-to-day tasks that team members perform that make life better for the people they serve.

Five years ago the team met Maria and Joseph, a Hispanic couple in their mid-80s.  Joseph was a decorated veteran of World War II.  Maria was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 1996.  They had one son whose work took him across the country, so he was not around much to help during his parents’ journey with dementia. 

Like most spouses, Maria’s diagnosis was Joseph’s introduction to the role of caregiver, a role that he lovingly tried to fulfill by himself.  With the passage of time and the deterioration of Maria’s condition, he accepted the presence and assistance of the Care Team in their heretofore private journey.  Team members learned that Maria loved to garden, but she was no longer able to keep her garden up by herself.  The team members helped her nurture the plants and feel the earth between her fingers.  They helped with transportation to shop for food, took her for walks in the park, got her to church on Sunday, enjoyed picnics and other outside activities for as long as she was able.  When she could no longer bathe herself, women on the team helped her twice each week.  Finally the time came when home care was not sufficient and Maria moved to a nursing home, leaving Joseph alone in the home they shared for many years.  The home was empty without Maria and Joseph just couldn’t physically and emotionally tend to the house and yard as was needed. 

After Maria moved to a nursing home, the team continued to visit and assist Joseph at home even as they periodically visited Maria.  The team took Joseph to his appointments at the VA Hospital, got him out on weekends for shopping and socializing, and took him to church on Sunday.  But then, Maria died about one month ago.  His bride of 64 years was gone.  Joseph’s life and world were irrevocably different.  After repeated offers by the team to tend to some of the tasks that had been long neglected, he agreed and 20 team members went into action.  They paid to have a beehive removed that was a nuisance, cleaned an overgrown yard, and did a whirlwind cleaning of the house, dusting, shining, and organizing.  At the end of the day as Joseph surveyed a yard and home that looked dramatically different, he could not find words to express his gratitude for the love and acts of kindness that had brought some measure of order and self-respect back into his life.  He literally was speechless.  But words of thanks were not required by the team.  The gratitude in his eyes and in his hugs spoke volumes.  They worked all day not because they had to, but because they wanted to, because they care for him.

The relationship between the team and Joseph will continue.  They will visit and provide some of the support that he needs to stay safely and comfortably in his home.  After all, being at home, supported by trustworthy and helpful friends, is a good place to be when one is 90-years old.  The Care Team is a surrogate and extended family to Joseph.  They do what is needed because of a relationship with Joseph that began when Maria developed Alzheimer’s disease but deepened as their respective stories became one story of mutual care.  Truly, these are relationships in which the parties both bless and are blessed.

Common Ground: Caregiver Conversations

Common Ground is a series of monthly meetings of caregivers who share their experiences and resources, as well as draw strength from each other and support from a professional and lay co-facilitator.          

Caregiver Conferences

Educational and skill-building conferences are regularly conducted.  Workshops respond to caregivers’ needs for information about resources, coping strategies, legal and financial concerns, distance caregiving, communication skills, self care, short and long term care planning, family conflicts, and other topics.

Personal Assistant Service

Licensed social workers with advanced degrees and special training in gerontology assist seniors and family caregivers to meet the lifestyle changes they face.  The service is focused on enhancing quality of life physically, mentally, and socially, both for seniors living alone or with a spouse and those whose adult children are now ‘distance’ caregivers.  The primary goal is to enable each client’s independence and well being.

If you wish to learn more about any service or to register to receive a service, please contact us by e-mail or phone.  Although all services are not available in all areas of greater Houston, a staff member will be pleased to discuss your situation or needs and your interest in one or more of our services.