Addressing the Spiritual Needs of Persons with Dementia

NACC Special Webinar

Earlier this year NACC member Dr. Debbie Armenta presented a workshop at the NACC national conference entitled Addressing the Spiritual Needs of Persons with Dementia in Parish Ministry.

It received excellent reviews from many participants, including the following:

• Just what I needed! Excellent! Genuine, and informative.
• She was effective and energetic. Excellent presentation.
• Many thanks for a professional and heartfelt presentation.
• Could use more time. This topic requires 3 hours.

Based on the positive reception to her workshop and the expressed requests by NACC webinar participants for more information about working with dementia patients, at the invitation of the NACC Debbie has agreed to present a webinar series that covers the topic in more depth. The three sessions will have the following objectives:

1. Session 1: Where do we begin in the task of Spiritual Care and persons with Dementia?
   • To identify, discuss, the challenges of spiritual care for persons with dementia.
     • What is the developmental reality of a person diagnosed with dementia and how does this affect their need for spiritual care?
     • What is the context in which the person with dementia is living and in need of spiritual care and what might this care look like in various communities?
     • What are the challenges for the person with dementia, the family or caregivers in the community in which they worship?
2. Session 2: Contextualizing of needs and approaches
   • To provide various tools for an increased awareness and sensitivity the spiritual care for those suffering from Alzheimer’s as their needs and symptoms change.
     • What should this look like from a chaplain’s perspective?
   • To increase awareness of the grieving and loss for the family members.
     • As chaplains, we continuously look at our “role, goal and context” in terms identifying the person in need. While we identify the person with cognitive decline and their needs for spiritual care, there is an additional dynamic in the family system what does this mean for the family members as well?
3. Session 3: Strategies and Resources
   • To discuss, provide and construct practical strategies of spiritual care for implantation in various settings:
     • Home
     • Assisted living
     • Memory Care Support communities
     • What might support for spiritual care look like in a parish setting

About the presenter:
Dr. Debbie Armenta is an Assistant Professor of Pastoral Theology, Associate Dean of Formation and the incoming director of the Teaching Parish Formation Program for Mundelein Seminary. Dr. Armenta has spent over three decades in parish and diocesan ministry as well as chaplaincy in 4 dioceses across the US. She has an MA and an MDiv and completed her Doctorate in Spirituality as a Bernardin Scholar at Catholic Theological Union. Her doctoral dissertation appropriates Eastern Christian desert spirituality for formation of ministers in the Church. Additional certifications and training for Dr. Armenta include courses in Spirituality, Spiritual Direction, Leadership, Pastoral Associate Certification and Dementia Person Centered Care Training. Dr. Armenta was recently selected to present research at the International joint Conference for the Society of the Study of Christian Spirituality/Forum of Spirituality Professors, Italy; taking place in Sept. 2020, Rome, Italy. She is currently working towards her board certification with the National Association for Catholic Chaplains. Debbie has been married for 33 years, is a proud mother of four sons and lives in Northern Illinois.

Participant cost for these three sessions is $75 for NACC members, $90 for non-members, which includes all three sessions. Retired and student members of the NACC can benefit from a reduced registration fee of $30. This series will provide 4.5 CEH’s.

The three sessions will take place on the following dates:

• Tuesday, November 19 (12:00 noon – 1:00 p.m. Central Time)
• Tuesday, November 26 (12:00 noon – 1:00 p.m. Central Time)
• Tuesday, December 3 (12:00 noon – 1:00 p.m. Central Time)

To register online to participate in these sessions, please use the following link: REGISTER. If you prefer to pay by check, please click here to download the registration form. Print and fill out the form and send it, along with your check made out to NACC, to: National Association of Catholic Chaplains, 4915 S. Howell Avenue, Suite 501, Milwaukee, WI 53207.

Materials
Armenta webinar_week 1
Armenta webinar_3 slides per page_week 1

CEH certificate

Click here to download the CEH certificate for this webinar

If you have any questions please contact the national office: info@nacc.org