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Visiting and Serving the Elderly

Visiting and Serving the Elderly

young woman helping elderly woman

Purpose

Find ways to visit and serve older members of your family, ward, or community. As you do, you will develop Christlike attributes in yourself and enrich your life as well as the lives of those you serve.

Description

Visit the elderly at home or at an assisted-living or retirement facility. Plan an activity that everyone can enjoy and feel comfortable doing, such as helping with yard work, doing grocery shopping, delivering small gifts or treats, or giving short musical performances. You can also plan a day when you just visit and talk with the people there.

More Ideas

  • Kind words—Have your group write letters or draw pictures to deliver to elderly people in their family, ward, or stake.

  • Preserve their stories—Older individuals have a wealth of life experiences to share. You can use the FamilySearch Memories mobile app to record their stories and even upload them to the Gallery on FamilySearch. Before you go, come up with questions you’d like to ask. For example: Where did you grow up? What was one of your favorite hobbies when you were my age? What is your favorite type of music? What is some advice you have for me and my generation?

  • Sabbath day service—Schedule a visit to a senior center on Sunday to visit rooms and offer to sing a few hymns. Young men could also take the sacrament to members who are not able to attend church.

  • Technology training—Invite senior ward members to an activity where they can learn how to use Church technology. You could show them how to pay tithing online and how to use the Gospel Library or LDS Tools. You might also help them bookmark pages or increase the font size on the screen.

Discussion

Encourage participants to talk about what they are learning. Discussions can take place before, during, or after the activity. You could ask questions like the following:

  • Why do you think it is important to visit and serve the elderly?

  • What experiences have you had interacting with older people?

  • What thoughts or impressions do you have about visiting and serving the elderly?

  • How can you apply what you are learning in your life?

Related Resources

Sabbath Day Lessons

Other