U.S Bishops in their pastoral message, Blessings of Age (Catholic Church, 1999, pp. 22-24):
- Older people are providers, not just recipients, of pastoral care.
- Older people themselves should help to identify their pastoral needs and decide how they are met.
- Older people are diverse, if not more so, than other generational groups.
- Older people need a mix of activities that connect them with each pothers as well as the larger community.
- Spiritual health affects and is affected by the individual's physical, emotional, mental, and social health. Although the faith community is expecially concerned about meeting spiritual needs, it cannot ignore these other realities.
"Catholic gerontological pastoral care is, by its very nature, dialogical, collaborative, mutual, diverse, creative, communal, and spiritual in the most holistice sense" (Rost, 2008).
Generations, Journal of the American Society of Aging, p.45, Summer 2008
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