The Wellness Ministry is rooted in the Judeo-Christian tradition, consistent with the basic assumption of all faiths that care for self and for others is an expression of God’s love. The concept was born out of the recognition of historic role of the healing ministry of the church and the need for the church to return to its once active role in promoting health. A congregation forms a healing ministry as the members walk beside each other through all of life’s joys and sorrows.
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The Wellness Team, in cooperation with the Parish Nurse, promotes the integration of all aspects of health: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. It creates opportunities for church members in all phases of life to enhance their total health and well-being.
The Parish Nurse is a unique, specialized practice of nursing that holds as central the spiritual dimension of nursing. The Parish Nurse focuses on the promotion of health within the context of the values, beliefs, and practices of the faith community, and incorporates into her practice the mission and ministry of the congregation. Parish nursing is a return to the very roots of nursing, where the emphasis is on touch and caring, rather than technology. The Parish Nurse functions under the auspices of the Wellness Team.
The role of the Parish Nurse includes:
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Personal Health Counse
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Health Education
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Referral Agent and Liaison with congregational and community resource.
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Facilitator of volunteers
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Spiritual Companion in Health and Illness
When might you call on the Parish Nurse?
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When you or a family member is discharged from the hospital and have questions about how to cope at home.
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When you are having difficulty dealing with a new or complex diagnosis.
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If your blood pressure readings have been high and you need them checked between visits to your physician.
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When a family member has a chronic illness and needs care in the home.
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When you have concerns about a family member and are not sure if they need to see their physician.
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When you have an idea for an educational program that you think the church would benefit from.
The Parish Nurse is not a substitute for a person's regular health care provider, but rather, a supplement.
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Alice Bond, Parish Nurse
The Parish Nurse is Alice Bond, RN, FCN. The initials FCN stand for Faith Community Nurse, a more recent title for parish nurse. Alice earned a diploma in Nursing from Virginia Baptist Hospital, a Bachelor’s degree with double majors in Health Sciences and Religious Studies from Lynchburg College,and did post-graduate work at LC toward a degree in Guidance and Counseling. She held positions at both local hospitals in a variety of settings: critical care, staff and patient education, and case management.
After retirement from the hospital setting, Alice took a preparatory course to become a parish nurse, and started the ministry at First Baptist in the fall of 2005. Alice states she was called to parish nursing when it became a ministry of the Women’s Missionary Union of Virginia, a pioneer and early proponent of the ministry of parish nursing. The ministry of the Wellness Team is supported by donations and a grant from the WC English Foundation.
The position of Parish Nurse is part-time. Alice's practice includes hospital, nursing home, and home visits, and taking communion to those who wish it. She is available by appointment, and can be reached by cell phone at 942-5474, or by email at ABSBond15@gmail.com
Centra Health
Our partnership with Centra Health provides our Parish Nurse, Wellness Team, and congregation many benefits, from access to Centra’s resources, to the ideas and programs of other local congregational health ministries.
Health Related Internet Links
This website was created to help families find help on a wide variety of subjects related to the care of the senior population.
www.centrahealth.com/
Centra Health’s website has many items of local interest concerning health care in our area.
This is the official site of the American Cancer Society, where accurate, current information about cancer can be found.
This is the American Heart Association’s official website.
This is the official website of the American Diabetes Association.
This is the website of the National Institutes of Health, division of Heart,Lungs, Blood Institute. It covers a broad range of conditions, and is surprisingly easy to navigate. It has an especially good section on high blood pressure.
This is the site of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It too, covers a wide variety of conditions related to the spread of disease. Immunizations are a big part of the website.
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www.nursinghomeabusesupport.com
Drug Dangers was developed to educate the public and lend a helping hand to people who have been effected by drugs and medical devices. Our goal is to keep senior citizens and the public educated and informed of all medical devices and dangerous medications that are currently on the market today.
www.aginginplace.org/guide-to-recognizing-elder-abuse/
National Council on Aging guide on elder abuse
The goal of Nursing Home Abuse Support is to educate the public about factual and current information regarding elder abuse and neglect. Its mission is to spread awareness on this very sensitive issue
Generally speaking, it’s best to get health-related information from the organization that does the research and advises the medical community, including your doctors, about the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. I have listed the websites that relate to the most common diseases. The Parish Nurse has information in her office from all these organizations, and some experience in dealing with the above conditions.
