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New every morning is your love, great God of light, and all day long you are working for good in the world. Stir up in us desire to serve you, to live peacefully with our neighbors and all your creation, and to devote each day to your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

"A Liturgy for Morning Prayer," Upper Room Worshipbook

Used by permission from the Book of Common Worship, © 2018 Westminster John Knox Press. All rights reserved. This prayer appears in “A Liturgy for Morning Prayer” in Upper Room Worshipbook.

No Act of Love Is Ever Wasted

The Spirituality of Caring for Persons with Dementia

Richard L. Morgan, Jane Marie Thibault • September 2009

BUY Print $15.99

BUY eBook (Available in ePub or Kindle) $9.99

With more than 6 million people in the United States living with Alzheimer’s disease and more than 11 million Americans providing unpaid care for people with Alzheimer’s or other dementias, addressing the concerns of these elders and their caregivers is a matter of increasing importance. Relying on their many years of experience in this area, gerontologist Jane Marie Thibault and Richard L. Morgan offer this book to provide a fresh, hopeful model of dealing with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia.

Caregivers have two basic needs: affirmation that their caregiving is not in vain and reassurance that the lives of those for whom they care are not without purpose. Care receivers need more than medical attention—they need tender care, involvement in the community, and a sense of connection with a loving God. When care receivers and caregivers are able to view their relationship as a mutual spiritual path, each plays a role in deepening the spiritual life of the other.

Addressing topics such as communicating with and providing meaningful worship experiences for loved ones suffering from memory loss, Thibault and Morgan offer creative approaches to ensure care for both elders and caregivers. They also recommend ways churches can minister more effectively in this arena.

In addition to being an excellent resource for individuals caring for loved ones, No Act of Love Is Ever Wasted is a helpful resource for counselors, support group leaders, pastors, and other professionals. Besides offering practical ways to help, this book serves as a reminder that every act of love brings positive transformation to the recipient, the giver, and the world.


Categories: Caregiving, Older Adults
Richard L. Morgan, a retired Presbyterian (USA) pastor, offers pastoral care to residents with dementia and their caregivers and facilitates an Alzheimer’s support group at the Redstone Highlands retirement community near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He also writes a bimonthly newsletter, “Notes at 90,” for family and friends. In addition to his seminary training, Richard has an MA in Counseling and training in clinical pastoral education. He is the author or coauthor of 20 books.

Jane Marie Thibault, clinical professor emerita at the University of Louisville School of Medicine, lives in Louisville, Kentucky. She is the author of 10 Gospel Promises for Later Life and A Deepening Love Affair: The Gift of God in Later Life. Thibault is coauthor (with Richard Morgan) of No Act of Love Is Ever Wasted: The Spirituality of Caring for Persons with Dementia.

ISBN: 978-0-8358-9995-6

Kindle ISBN: 978-0-8358-1207-8

EPub ISBN: 978-0-8358-1804-9

Imprint: Upper Room

Pub Date: September 2009

Trim Size: 6 in (w) x 9 in (h) x 0.375 in (d)

Page Count: 176

BISAC Categories: FAMILY & RELATIONSHIPS / Eldercare

BISAC1: FAM017000

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