UK Edition
Prayer Book services to help dementia sufferers
They are the product of centuries of devotion; the rites which have marked the birth and passing of successive generations as well as great moments of national triumph and despair.
Now the sights, sounds and smells of a traditional Anglican church service are to be called into action as a perhaps unlikely weapon in the fight against one of the greatest challenges of the 21st Century: dementia.
The Church of England is beginning an ambitious re-examination of its service style to prepare for an era when, cumulatively, millions of people face living with conditions such as Alzheimer’s.
Senior clerics hope that familiar texts of prayers and passages of scripture, often learnt by heart in childhood, could help trigger memories and provide moments of clarity and calm for sufferers.
Simple changes could mean making greater use of old version of the Lord’s Prayer, complete with words such as Thy and Thine instead of You and Yours.
The move is part of the Church of England’s re-examination of its services to prepare for an era when millions of people will face living with conditions such as Alzheimer’s.
The Liturgical Commission, the body responsible for any changes to the Church’s official service style, is calling in experts to help it plan “dementia friendly” services.
It is planning to issue guidance to parishes and cathedrals on how to structure worship to help those suffering from confusion or memory loss to participate as much as possible.
Churches will be urged to experiment with making “multi-sensory” services – using not only words and music but pictures and symbols as well as elements of touch and, potentially, taste.
Subtle changes already employed in some congregations include handing out services booklets with special textured covers and giving worshippers objects to hold. The idea is based on techniques developed in some new care homes where walls in different areas are designed with different colours and textured surfaces to help reduce confusion.
Others have been incorporating tactile symbols such as water and candles into services.
Crucially, the plan is also likely to involve reviving the use of texts from the traditional prayer book, which has long been replaced in most churches with service books in modern English but contains phrases and rhythms deeply embedded in many people’s memory.
Rt Revd Robert Atwell, Bishop of Exeter, the chair of the Liturgical Commission, says the changes could help “unlock the gates of memory” for some worshippers.
Dr Matthew Salisbury, the Church of England’s national liturgy and worship adviser, who works for the commission, explained: “By 2039 almost 1.5 million people in the UK are going to be living with dementia.
“The implications for the Church of England and our mission to this nation can be easily imagined.
“We are not just talking about people with dementia but also those who are caring for them and those who are worship alongside them.
“The idea is that initially we look at what people are doing that is good, that really works.
“It is high priority for us so we are going to pay this a great deal of attention.”
The challenge, he added, is to find ways to “meet people where they are with worship”.
“That means that for people for whom the Book of Common Prayer is a source of coming closer to God that needs to be there for them,” he said.
“You may get nothing out of someone and then chime in and say ‘Oh Lord open Thou our lips’ and they will come straight in with ‘And our mouth shall show forth thy praise’.”
But he emphasised “Using the Book of Common Prayer might be one solution, it may not be the only solution.
“It is about identifying those texts which have particular resonance and that might be different for different people in the same way as people have different favourite hymns.”
He added: “A final consideration might be whether we think about services to mark key moments such as going into a care home - that is a major rite of passage - or resources that people who are working in a care home might make use of."
Bishop Atwell said: “Journeying alongside those living with dementia is a costly business, but hugely important in our society where dementia is on the increase.
“Many find that the familiar words of worship and the singing of hymns reach into confusion and unlock the gates of memory.
“As a Commission we are working in partnership with specialists in this area to encourage good practice and create resources for dementia-friendly services so that sufferers and carers alike can be assured of God’s love and compassion.”