Comfort and Care for Caregivers
CAREGIVERS WALK THEIR OWN UNIQUE PATH THROUGH CHRONIC ILLNESS
A caregiver’s role can be both rewarding and exhausting, difficult and joy-filled, meaningful and frustrating, isolating and inspiring.
Wherever you are on the journey, we’re so glad you’re here! Step into hope, find purpose, embrace worth, and encounter God’s joy.
ABOUT CAREGIVING
More than 20% of the population provide care for a loved one.
Caregivers learn to navigate doctor’s appointments, medications, care plans, the emotional needs of their loved one. They do this while balancing work and other family responsibilities. This leaves them weary, often feeling isolated, alone, and forgotten about.
Caregivers often neglect their own health needs and have an increased risk for chronic illness, anxiety, and depression.
Self-Care Saturdays • Little Moments of TLC for YOU!
GIVE THE PRECIOUS GIFT OF HOPE.
Celebrating or honoring a friend or loved one with a gift of hope is even more meaningful when it also enriches the lives of those living with chronic physical and mental illness, kindling the precious embers of hope in the lives of those who often feel isolated, forgotten about, and alone. LEARN MORE.
Hover over an image to learn more.
GIFTS IN CELEBRATION OF
CELEBRATING YOU!
Celebrate someone special with a gift of hope in their name, a gift whose ripples enriches the lives of all those impacted by chronic physical and mental illness.
GIFTS IN HONOR OF
IN HONOR OF
A gift in honor of a loved one, mentor, friend, or colleague is a beautiful link in the life-giving ministry of Chronic Joy. Together we are always better!
Being There: How to Love Those Who Are Hurting
Dave Furman
We all know people suffering from sickness, disability, depression, or grief. Where are we to find strength in such circumstances? Dave Furman offers support, encouragement, and wisdom for those called to care for others in need - equipping us to effectively care for the hurting and pointing us to the strength that God provides.
Blessings And Prayers for Caregivers
Annetta Dellinger
Find encouragement for the realities of daily care giving challenges. Through brief Gospel-focused readings and Scripture verses, this small book offers refreshment and renewal for the exhausted caregiver. Each reading focuses on Jesus as the source of our hope and strength. Blessings and Prayers for Caregivers can be tucked in a pocket or a purse to go with you wherever you are and to be at your fingertips whenever you have a minute or two and need a word of encouragement.
Don't Sing Songs to a Heavy Heart: How to Relate to Those Who are Suffering
Kenneth C. Haugk, PhD
An essential guide on how to care for and relate to people as they encounter difficult times in life. This book draws on extensive research of those who have experienced various kinds of suffering in their lives, offering key insights and suggestions of what to say and do—and what not to say or do—when people are hurting. With its biblical foundation, compassionate approach, and concrete ideas, this book will help you bring God’s loving presence to hurting people when they need it most.
A Spirituality of Caregiving
Henri J.M. Nouwen
If you provide care for another person, whether you are a family member or a professional caregiver, you know that caregiving is hard, sometimes unappreciated work. But have you ever considered that it isn t easy to be the care receiver?
Blog Posts
Bitterness • Letting Christ Bring Compassion
Social Distancing, Self-Isolation, & Quarantine The memes and the quips scrolled by me faster than I could keep up. It seemed that everyone had something to say about self-isolation, quarantine, lock-down, and the restrictions that were suddenly, with very little warning, thrust upon...
The One Rule of a Chronic Illness Diagnosis
Do Not Judge - It's a Mindset, Not A Method How do you respond when a family member or friend is diagnosed with a chronic illness? How can you support them in their...
Your Pain Comes with Possibilities
We can let our pain fool us into believing we are the only ones who have suffered. We can use our pain as an excuse to stop doing hard things. We can refuse to deal with it, covering it over with smiles or things that make us feel good or lies we tell ourselves. Or we can let it soften us and make us more open to others. We can let it make us more aware of what others need from us–and decide to respond in offering what we can.
Even More
WEBSITES
Caregivers with Hope exists with the goal of offering caregivers the tools and empowerment to be better. Drawing upon founder Peter Rosenberger’s 30 years of experience as a caregiver, Caregivers with Hope offers clear, proven, strategies and tools to guide caregivers towards a healthier lifestyle in every facet of their life. In addition, Caregivers with Hope provides invaluable tools to counselors, clergy, medical practitioners, employers and businesses faced with addressing the needs of the caregiver.
Because only another caregiver can understand…
Not everyone has friends who understand or will even listen; that’s why we’re here. We provide a safe and open space—at no cost to you—where you can be real about what it’s like to care for someone dealing with a serious disability or illness.
Stephen Ministry is a one-to-one lay caring ministry that equips congregations and empowers lay caregivers to provide high-quality, confidential, Christ-centered care to people who are hurting. Stephen Ministries offers many caregiving books and resources.
BLOGS
For the family members, friends, spouses, neighbors and co-workers of individuals with chronic physical or mental illness. There is nothing easy about watching others struggle with chronic illness. In watching, we suffer too. There are two answers, one is community , the other is God. This blog points watchers to both.
A blog site with the goal of recognizing and helping family caregivers.
Daily Devotions for Caregivers
Jeanie Olinger was thrust into caregiving when her son was in a tragic accident, but she soon discovered that there is “a whole world of ‘us’ out there! Many times we find ourselves alone. Even the church can disappear quickly and good friends distance themselves because our world has changed. But God does not change with circumstance. My faith is what has carried me through and these devotions will hopefully help us all make one more day – encouraged in Him.”
Devotions to inspire hope and victory. “As I have watched my father and so many friends become full-time caregivers, I realized that there was a need to tell their stories. I hope the stories, Scripture verses, and prayers on these blogs will inspire you as you care for others, and that the stories of others in similar situations will be a source of encouragement to you.” – Nancy Bowen Brown
