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PILGRIM CARE 'Pi Project'
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Pilgrim Care has been
innovative in reaching out to local care homes, the St
Andrews community hospital and individual elderly people who
may be isolated or shielding. We have provided all the care
homes in St Andrews with small, internet based video players ('Raspberry
Pi'
Microcomputers,
pictured) which are simply connected to a television set.
These enable residents to remain connected with the local
community and their friends, watching live or recorded services
from St Andrews churches, participate in chair exercise
classes, view cultural events from the university, and
potentially watch
local and family events such as weddings and graduations.
Appropriate programming is selected by Pilgrim Care or
requested by viewers and remotely downloaded. There is no
need for residents to bother with tapes or disks, nor do
they need any computer skills, they just turn on the
television at the appropriate time. A typical programme schedule is shown below.
We would love to make these players
generally available to other elderly people in the area. If
you would like to donate towards this effort, the players
cost us £79 each including the first year of programming.
Why not
sponsor one of these
players.
PILGRIM
CARE Parish Nursing Project
Pilgrim Care St Andrews'
Parish Nurse serves the
elderly of St Andrews and District. Cath Carter (RN,
BN(Hons), MSc) brings a wealth of
professional experience to her work.
This ministry is conducted in cooperation with
Parish Nursing Ministries(UK), a national charity. Based in the local
church community, parish nurses support people towards whole
person healthcare. Whether it’s simply giving moral support
during a medical crisis – giving general health advice –
“signposting” people to various support or medical services
– praying for people – clarifying medical procedures or
issues, etc – or simply listening (which they do an awful
lot of!) - they focus on the person, rather than just a
specific medical condition
Pilgrim Care is a local charity
whose primary aim is to care for elderly residents of St
Andrews. Its long-term goal is to establish a care village
of assisted living houses and associated care home in the St
Andrews area, to be run with a Christian ethos, but serving
people of all faiths or none.
Pilgrim Care has for several years been providing training
for pastoral carers. “The appointment of a Parish Nurse is
a logical step for us.” said Dr David Weeks, former
chairman of the board of Pilgrim Care. “We are eager to
serve the care needs, physical and spiritual, of elderly
people and to do so with a distinctly Christian Ethos.
Showing the love of Christ by caring for people’s need for
hope, purpose and a sense of being loved and valued.”
Nurse Carter works with
elderly people who may need a little extra time adjusting to
new circumstances, understanding medication changes or
medical advice from doctors, or who perhaps need an advocate
to help them receive the services they need.
In this role, Cath reports
to Celia Sprot (RGN) a Senior Nurse and board member of
Pilgrim Care.
At a time when the demographics
of our nation are changing, with an increasing number of
people in their senior years, Parish Nursing has the ability
to complement the excellent work of local NHS doctors and
nurses and council social services. The NHS has long recognized that people’s
well-being requires more than prescriptions and operations
but that we also have a need for spiritual care. As a highly
qualified and experienced nurse, registered with the Nursing
and Midwifery Council, and with a vibrant personal Christian
faith, Cath is in an excellent position to provide such
care in the community.
This new role is led by
Pilgrim Care on behalf of all the churches in St Andrews and
we cannot overstate our thanks to local church members and
their leaders for their support, both financial and
practical, which makes this possible. As a result, services
are provided to patients free of any charge.
What is
Pilgrim Care?
Established
in 1995 Pilgrim Care is a St Andrews based charity that grew
out of a desire to provide Christian care facilities and
pastoral care support for the elderly in the St Andrews
area.
Pilgrim
Care’s Vision
Is to
develop a secure environment for elderly people in St
Andrews. The intention is to develop a complex comprising
extra-care housing units available for purchase or rent and
a nursing home that would be open to both the occupants of
the extra-care housing and members of the wider community.
Places
would be offered on the basis of need rather than the
ability to pay.
Pilgrim
Care has a related objective of supporting local churches
with pastoral care training for the benefit of all of the
elderly in the St Andrews district whether in their own
homes or in residential care.
Pilgrim
Care’s Underlying Principles
·
Highest
professional standards of care will be given
·
Care will
be provided with no distinction on grounds of race, creed or
ability to pay
What
next?
To take
this project forward we are looking to engage with members
of local churches to publicise our project and its vision.
Can you
help us?
·
To share
our vision with others
·
To pray for
our project and all involved
·
To raise
funds
·
To identify
suitable sites
·
To identify
suitable funding partners
