The Wired Word for 08032025 - CourtneyR.dev's 2nd Brain

The Wired Word for 08/03/2025 ![rw-book-cover](https://www.thewiredword.com/touch-icon-iphone-retina.png) ## Metadata - Author: [[The Wired Word]] - Full Title: The Wired Word for 08/03/2025 - Category: #articles - Document Note: --- tags: - #caregiving - #eldercare - #wordpresscommunity - #compassion - #open_source Author: The Wired Word Team Source: The Wired Word, Deseret News, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, ABC News, Kaiser Family Foundation Reference: https://thewiredword.com/weekly-newsletters/2025/08/03/united-states-faces-caregiver-shortage date created: 2025-07-31 12:00 --- # Title: United States Faces Caregiver Shortage and Rising Costs — A Biblical and Community Challenge ## Table of Contents: - 📝 Summary - 📖 Main Content - 🗒️ Notes - 📖 References - 🗣️ Paraphrase - 📰 Newsletter - ✅ Action Items - 🧪 Hypotheses - 📊 Methodology - ❓ Questions - 🔮 Future Research - 💡 Implications - 🧠 Learning Styles Assessment - 📊 Accessibility Assessment - 🌍 DEIB Assessment - ✅ Logical Validity - 🔍 DARVO Analysis - 🔍 SEO Evaluation - 🎯 Conclusion ## 📝 Summary: This article explores the growing crisis in elder care in the United States and other developed nations, where aging populations meet a shrinking caregiver workforce and soaring care costs. It highlights the emotional, physical, and economic burdens placed on caregivers and those they care for, emphasizing the predominance of unpaid family caregiving, mostly by women. Biblical teachings on honoring and caring for elders frame the discussion, urging faith communities to respond compassionately and innovatively to this demographic challenge. ## 📖 Main Content: The "silver tsunami" describes the demographic wave of aging populations requiring more care than ever before, while the caregiving workforce remains insufficient and undercompensated. Historically, elder care was a family duty, largely invisible labor mostly performed by women. As economic realities shift toward dual-income households and urbanization, caregiving increasingly becomes a paid profession, yet remains financially out of reach for many families. Costs for nursing homes and home health aides far exceed typical incomes, creating a crisis where unpaid caregivers are indispensable. Immigrants make up a substantial portion of paid caregivers, but many are leaving, which risks further shortages. Biblical passages such as Exodus 20:12, Mark 6:34, John 19:26-27, and Galatians 6:2 are used to remind readers of the spiritual and ethical imperatives to honor, care for, and bear one another’s burdens, reflecting Jesus' compassion and community responsibility. The article ends with reflective questions and a call to action for individuals and faith communities to support caregivers, innovate local solutions, and foster intergenerational care relationships. ### 🗒️ Notes - **Demographic challenge** - Aging populations increasing globally - Caregiver pool shrinking - Costs rising faster than affordability - **Caregiving workforce** - 63 million U.S. caregivers, mostly unpaid family members - Paid caregivers earn low wages (~$16/hr median) - Immigrants form 25% of paid home care workers - Workforce attrition threatens future care availability - **Economic strain** - Median nursing home cost: $116,800/year - Home health aide cost: $288,000/year - Medicaid cuts reduce support - **Biblical framing** - Honor parents (Exodus 20:12) - Compassion modeled by Jesus (Mark 6:34) - Jesus’ care for Mary (John 19:26-27) - Bearing burdens (Galatians 6:2) - **Community reflection** - Family and church roles in caregiving - Need for innovative community solutions - Spiritual practices support caregiver resilience - **Questions for reflection** - Personal caregiving experiences and faith connection - How to overcome feelings of burden in care receivers - Church’s role in eldercare - Systems to support caregiving ## 📖 References: - Deseret News, The Great Global Caregiving Crisis - Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Caregiver Crisis Report - ABC News, Invisible Crisis: America’s Caregivers - Kaiser Family Foundation, Cost of Care Report 2024 - The Wired Word, August 3, 2025 Newsletter - Bible Verses: Exodus 20:12, Mark 6:34, John 19:26-27, Galatians 6:2 ## 🗣️ Paraphrase: 1. *Original:* "The 'silver tsunami' describes the surge in aging populations creating demand for care while the caregiver pool shrinks and costs escalate, putting strain on families and society." *Paraphrase:* The term "silver tsunami" refers to the rapidly growing number of elderly individuals needing assistance, coinciding with a declining number of available caregivers and rising care expenses, which collectively place significant pressure on households and communities. 2. *Original:* "Jesus' compassion means 'suffering with' others, not just feeling sorry but actively sharing their distress and seeking to help, setting a model for compassionate caregiving in communities." *Paraphrase:* The compassion Jesus demonstrated involves empathizing deeply—literally "suffering alongside" those in pain—not merely pitying them, but joining in their hardships and striving to provide relief, exemplifying how communities should approach caring for others. ## 📰 Newsletter: 👋 Hey WordPress friends! This week’s spotlight tackles a serious societal issue—the caregiver shortage impacting millions, especially elders, in the U.S. and beyond. As our population ages, many families face soaring care costs and dwindling support networks. The call to action? Compassion and community innovation—values close to our WordPress ethos. Plus, biblical insights remind us of the power in bearing one another’s burdens, echoing how open source thrives when we support each other. On the tech side, keep your eyes on WordPress 6.9, which promises exciting block comments, site editor updates, and an admin redesign. New WooCommerce payment plugins are shaking up the space, and Google’s Site Kit continues to evolve. Dive into these updates and more, and don’t miss Matt Cromwell’s clever fix for moving Customizer CSS to external files. Stay engaged, stay compassionate, and let’s keep building a stronger, inclusive WordPress community! 🌟 ## ✅ Action Items: - Leverage this article to deepen community conversations about the social impact of caregiving and eldercare within open source circles. - Use biblical compassion themes to inspire WordPress contributor advocacy, emphasizing empathy in mentoring and onboarding. - Advocate for projects or initiatives within the WordPress ecosystem that support caregivers or highlight accessibility and sustainability. - Integrate caregiving and eldercare challenges into educational talks or workshops to broaden contributor awareness and community inclusivity. - Explore funding models or partnerships for open source projects addressing healthcare tech or social support tools. - Align with OSPO goals by promoting transparency, inclusivity, and sustainable contributor care practices reflecting the article’s ethical imperatives. - Use the reflection questions as prompts in community calls or training sessions to foster interpersonal connection and shared responsibility. ## 🧪 Hypotheses: - Increased awareness and faith-based framing of caregiving challenges will improve community engagement in eldercare initiatives. - Providing structured support and training for unpaid caregivers within open source communities can reduce burnout and increase retention. - Integrating compassionate care principles in contributor onboarding enhances contributor satisfaction and diversity. - Local faith communities adopting innovative caregiving models can positively impact regional eldercare shortages. ### 📊 Methodology: - Conduct surveys within WordPress and open source communities to assess caregiving awareness and engagement. - Implement longitudinal studies tracking contributor burnout relative to community support interventions. - Use qualitative interviews with caregivers who participate in faith-based tech communities to explore lived experiences. - Analyze community health metrics before and after introduction of caregiving support programs. - Employ mixed methods combining quantitative surveys with thematic qualitative analysis. ### ❓ Questions: - How can open source communities better support members facing caregiving responsibilities? - What role can faith and spirituality play in sustaining contributor motivation and resilience? - In what ways might WordPress and related projects develop tools that aid caregivers or eldercare providers? - How can community education incorporate biblical compassion to strengthen social responsibility? ### 🔮 Future Research: - Investigate the effectiveness of faith-based compassion training in tech contributor communities. - Explore the intersection of caregiving burden and open source contributor participation patterns. - Develop case studies of churches or communities that have innovated caregiving solutions with technology. - Assess policy impacts on caregiver support and how open source projects can align with or influence these policies. ### 💡 Implications: Future research could guide development of inclusive community policies, educational programs, and technological solutions that empower caregivers and enhance contributor well-being. These advances would support sustainable open source ecosystems aligned with ethical and spiritual values. ### 🧠 Learning Styles Assessment: - **Visual Learners (Spatial)** - Present: Limited visuals, mostly text-based. - Improve: Add infographics showing demographics, care costs, and biblical story flowcharts. - **Aural Learners (Auditory-Musical)** - Present: No audio content. - Improve: Provide podcast versions or audio summaries. - **Verbal Learners (Linguistic)** - Present: Rich in narrative and scripture references. - Improve: Add storytelling elements and analogies to deepen engagement. - **Physical Learners (Kinesthetic)** - Present: Reflective questions encourage active participation. - Improve: Add actionable caregiving exercises or role-play scenarios. - **Logical Learners (Mathematical)** - Present: Statistical data and projections included. - Improve: Provide data visualizations and stepwise problem-solving guides. - **Social Learners (Interpersonal)** - Present: Calls for community discussion and engagement. - Improve: Link to forums or virtual discussion groups. - **Solitary Learners (Intrapersonal)** - Present: Reflection prompts encourage personal connection. - Improve: Offer journaling guides or private self-assessments. - **Naturalistic Learners** - Present: No direct environmental or nature references. - Improve: Integrate analogies related to natural cycles or care ecosystems. ### 📊 Accessibility Assessment: - Screen Reader Compatibility: Text is accessible; no images present. - Improve: Add alt-text for any future images and ensure semantic HTML structure. - Keyboard Navigation: Likely supported due to text-based format. - Contrast and Readability: Good with high-contrast text; font size adaptable. - Text Resizing: No issues expected with text resizing. ### 🌍 DEIB Assessment: - Cultural Relevance: Focus on Western, mostly U.S.-centric context; immigrant caregivers acknowledged. - Improve: Incorporate more global caregiving perspectives and diverse cultural caregiving traditions. - Inclusive Language: Gender references primarily female but balanced; could use more gender-neutral terms. - Neurodiversity Support: Text is dense; recommend breaking into smaller chunks and simpler sentences. - Representation: Some representation of immigrant populations; could expand on socioeconomic diversity. - Psychological Safety: Compassionate tone promotes welcoming engagement. ### ✅ Logical validity: **Strengths:** - **Sound Deductive Reasoning:** The article logically connects demographic trends to caregiver shortages and rising costs, strengthening the argument for urgent community response. - **Appeal to Facts/Evidence:** Use of statistical data and reputable sources grounds the discussion in reality. - **Balanced and Nuanced Views:** Recognizes unpaid family care alongside paid caregiving, as well as economic and cultural shifts. - **Ethical Reasoning:** Biblical framing provides moral grounding for compassionate care and community responsibility. **Suggestions:** - Add clearer distinctions between correlation and causation in economic impacts. - Enhance counterarguments by addressing potential criticisms of faith-based framing in secular communities. **No significant fallacies detected.** **Tone of voice:** Empathetic, reflective, and informative with a respectful balance of factual reporting and spiritual reflection. ### 🔍 DARVO Analysis: - No evidence of DARVO tactics detected. - The article acknowledges caregiver challenges without denying or attacking any group. - Tone supports victim-centered compassion and communal responsibility. ### 🔍 SEO Evaluation: - **Keywords:** Present keywords include "caregiver shortage," "elder care," "compassionate care," "aging populations," naturally integrated. - **Meta Description:** Not explicitly stated; recommended to add a concise meta description. - **Title Tag:** Clear, relevant, contains primary keywords. - **Headers:** Uses subheadings effectively for structure. - **Content Length:** Sufficiently detailed for topic depth. - **Internal and External Links:** Contains external authoritative links; internal links not applicable here. - **URL Structure:** Not provided; should be concise and keyword-rich. - **Image Optimization:** No images; adding optimized images with alt text suggested. - **Mobile Optimization:** Text-based content likely mobile-friendly. - **User Engagement:** Reflection questions and biblical passages encourage time spent on page. - **Schema Markup:** Not indicated; adding article schema recommended. - **Social Sharing:** No social sharing buttons visible; adding them would boost reach. ## 🎯 Conclusion: This article presents a comprehensive and compassionate overview of the critical caregiving shortage affecting aging populations, combining demographic data with biblical ethics to inspire action. It challenges communities—especially faith and open source groups—to embrace caregiving as a shared responsibility. Future initiatives can harness these insights to foster sustainable, inclusive support networks that honor elders and empower caregivers, aligned with ethical and technological advancements. - Summary: In the United States and other developed countries, a "silver tsunami" is underway -- aging populations are colliding with a shrinking pool of caregivers and the soaring costs of care. - URL: mailto:reader-forwarded-email/faf3e33ae1595d3e78e4c9f65069f802 Dear Class Members, In the United States and other developed countries, a "silver tsunami" is underway -- aging populations are colliding with a shrinking pool of caregivers and the soaring costs of care. In an attempt to respond faithfully to what is going on around us, this installment of *The Wired Word* will focus on compassionate service and the biblical challenge of caring for elders. ![](https://www.thewiredword.com/_img/tww_logo_email.jpg) **United States Faces Caregiver Shortage and Rising Costs*****The Wired Word*** **for the Week of August 3, 2025** **In the News** Back in the early 2000s, senior care specialist Wendy Jane Carrel saw the first signs of a "silver tsunami" in Southern California -- a tidal wave of aging Americans washing over a shrinking pool of caregivers. The problem was compounded by the soaring costs of elder care. Back then, she says to *Deseret News*, the "average American couldn't even afford the cost." Today, the situation has only grown worse for those needing care and those who offer it. And in spite of the fact that elder care is expensive, much of that money is not being shared with the caregivers themselves. Carrel reports that she has worked alongside caregivers who often earn what she considers to be poverty-level wages. Wealthy nations including the United States have been threatened by a "demographic time bomb" for years. By 2060, 155 million Europeans will be 65 or older -- roughly 30 percent of the population. In Japan, where a third of the population is already 65 or older, there will be a need for 2.72 million nursing care workers by 2040. One in six Americans is aged 65 or older, a group that will approach one in four in 2050. While many of that age group can care for themselves, many cannot. "We are all living longer," says Joanna Hofman, a senior research leader at Rand Europe. "There are just more of us to take care of and not enough of us to do the caring." "There are an estimated 63 million caregivers in the U.S., paid or unpaid [about 1.25 caregivers for each person 65 and older], who provide care for people who rely on them for basic needs," reports the *Bloomberg School at Johns Hopkins University*. While this might seem like a large number, the caregiving workforce is under strain from the growing number of people needing care and the limited resources available to pay for it. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that demand for personal care and home health aides will increase by 21 percent between 2021 and 2031. As this number increases, cuts to programs like Medicaid will reduce support for both caregivers and those they care for -- particularly older adults and persons with disabilities or chronic illnesses. Sixty-three percent of nursing home residents receive Medicaid funding. For most of American history, reports *Deseret News*, caring for aging parents or frail relatives was a private act, carried out in homes across the country. Rarely recognized as work, it was seen as part of being a family. Even today, the vast majority of care is performed by relatives, with women doing most of the work. In her book *The Age of Dignity: Preparing for the Elder Boom in a Changing America,* Ai-jen Poo estimates that 48 million Americans provide unpaid care for loved ones -- labor valued at $600 billion. In 2012, Janice Will was diagnosed with Parkinson's, a condition that causes parts of the brain to deteriorate. Janice's son Brandon realized that his mom needed constant care in her home. In Illinois, Brandon is paid 19 hours a week by Medicaid as a familial caregiver, even though he provides around-the-clock care for his mom. Janice, 73, has seen the emotional, physical and financial strain of needing care, and she spoke to *ABC News* about often feeling like a burden to her son. "He likes to tell me I'm not a burden, but I feel like a burden because he would have been on a career in New York," she says; "he sort of edited his dream to be different, by including me.” Brandon, 42, reminds his mom that she is not weighing him down. "Parkinson's is the burden," he says. "It's one we share." Because of the changing structure of many families in the United States and abroad, caregiving has become a paid profession for many. "Traditionally, it was the woman's role to stay home and care for parents and children," says health law attorney Stacey Lee to *Bloomberg*. "But it is very common now to have two working parents, and as a result, there is not that pool of free labor to care for a population that is living much longer than they did 40 or 50 years ago." Individualism, urbanization and economic demands have also been factors in caregiving becoming an institutionalized and commercial industry. But despite this shift, commercialized care has become inaccessible for many families. According to a 2024 report from the Kaiser Family Foundation, the median annual cost of a private room in a nursing home is $116,800. Full-time home health aide services surpass $288,000. These amounts exceed the median income of $36,000 for Medicare beneficiaries (who may also have non-income wealth assets such as home equity). As a result, nearly 41 million Americans are now providing unpaid care to adults in need. The demand for in-home care has led to global migration. In the United States, immigrants make up about 25 percent of the home care work force. Many are women from the Philippines, Nigeria, Jamaica and Haiti, attracted by the promise of steady work, even if the hours are long and the pay is low by American standards -- home health aides earn a median wage of $16 an hour. Some are now leaving, seeking better opportunities elsewhere or returning home. "If we lose that workforce," says Carrel, the senior care consultant, "more Americans will be forced to look elsewhere for care, or find a way to come up with new community solutions." More on this story can be found at these links: [The Great Global Caregiving Crisis.](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPKTBtxqaouUINJa1JE666-2FNm9DiBSzM8FJAUNTTVFiDCbrlcC-2FWoK5KyCr7CqJTQeAaku-2BDH-2FLMhXou0pWZms-2B-2B2boGac7qTJkoXZZNvDBI9O6w1_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmflRkdqkzBdEPmj7fnjYNEniXRAm88nk7a23Lw7SGmj82OcWlAMB9ygHClXzNZPPhYtDMmbmGpmwlqbKh9woctSteltYRirN-2FMBzQuWILX5M5JTuTa378KdeWXAdo6T9tLFFHz-2F-2Fs-2Fg-2FzUjztzuFuqICUS4-2B7ziQ7P-2BEfoq7d16P8DydILc4Zfgd705vlnYcqRCUd67g4DRTlTxBROlDm6GI79wpxUuyJphEvJyE9jYkQkfVcYPUitQn4PclrA7PSJ8cif-2BmFhH5l3w19kIpUNA-3D) [*Deseret News*](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPKTBtxqaouUINJa1JE666-2FNm9DiBSzM8FJAUNTTVFiDCbrlcC-2FWoK5KyCr7CqJTQeAaku-2BDH-2FLMhXou0pWZms-2B-2B2boGac7qTJkoXZZNvDBI9ePrT_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmflRkdqkzBdEPmj7fnjYNEniXRAm88nk7a23Lw7SGmj82OcWlAMB9ygHClXzNZPPhdfZ5gBtvRHI3jVR3mvD6q6QNmkAeGGSto-2BpwXenUcQUNBIdztJ-2FSF3ST6caFTE4FWUtTsUvQc8boVAl5K4mo-2B6rmNPUuBB4ewHWKsJ7bBXXEAoWGXPq2azCTsmFexaMUZmIv4DRe4UXcRp-2F7yXz4e0ZvL0XYFaahE-2FOkTXarTxNk3NZbhMKy7MA5yitnpHVQohZJVPK2-2BhkqioRBgn24-2B0-3D) [What Is the Caregiver Crisis?](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPNUixGa-2FLBiwckQg6Kzd7UdKbcVe95CcH7t-2BSXcffmKUGcqu-2FMJ-2Fbl9Wi4LlxGchccWdo4fL8EAvJIEyncIFYyE-3DYkTE_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmflRkdqkzBdEPmj7fnjYNEniXRAm88nk7a23Lw7SGmj82OcWlAMB9ygHClXzNZPPhXsHkLxf4loB-2BXH1lk1zBNDynrM62NLKCpYjAOafofGOe6gJXbJwXtyPH5rOde09ZwZW2sS7GtZLApdZCgK-2FogUbUB40JODJPFUTjePWb6Jw-2B9qKBdoattwqc-2BI2gTBigCfFdUSXiYZGVagV3EDc9s8bZl-2Bc-2FDz9DI-2BwWvirTPyS-2Bl-2BbWtNojRV5bOqtbkvnjAA3Dxnd0vOY6VdQKbQA6AM-3D) [*Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health*](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPNUixGa-2FLBiwckQg6Kzd7UdKbcVe95CcH7t-2BSXcffmKUGcqu-2FMJ-2Fbl9Wi4LlxGchccWdo4fL8EAvJIEyncIFYyE-3D5tiq_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmflRkdqkzBdEPmj7fnjYNEniXRAm88nk7a23Lw7SGmj82OcWlAMB9ygHClXzNZPPhTBLKrcb5XJaTDoj1020B6YqrSnWxo8ptjGvBnc9Vw75g0hQEcz-2B54KeE4-2F4tP0KX2qyPE3xw52MTVEVaVmr5o3mYKMjcbdwlks20l6jOGZiGb61ng0Dqvd1LecpittzH-2Fhqzohm6HBBEwp7lfUoIOuLHpyJ9kKdHhmCxNZ-2BO1BXeeNW5HVPUV-2Fn7KtdoYXZ-2BcNZJ5J16y-2B7KjS22Up9GpY-3D) [Invisible Crisis: America's Caregivers and the $600 Billion Unpaid Cost of Their Labor.](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPJ44mDWGkow6ms2nuHq265lPrPyBuMuSx-2BwLGO-2FA49SF8VhKIVZJWSrhvITybeIGLq7kxfDMvkH43siE6Yay43r-2B9xJNMlWJQ61t1ypqY-2FHbD4kvSlwbqqWePU8niVZQ6D1DVJX9wqkxjdcIQDeDboM-3DhCW4_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmflRkdqkzBdEPmj7fnjYNEniXRAm88nk7a23Lw7SGmj82OcWlAMB9ygHClXzNZPPhXmY7ChRXoL9WbcsStQsDjG-2FbE2ZOe-2BI-2B0nWa1BM1IRRqD-2BBmNAGgTuVwyqvBeK7XI-2BrMRkgmb91tQ4LSV5Q3unnagPMhI5Nzy771Z7TqhpKX41tPBExuZu-2B6WBFnCKJTUY1cGP59jSNY1Dk4Ei2Agaho-2BnoIrN7h4DgcP-2F5xyr3E-2ByhssV9jbQYe8-2BTxbAN2-2FzYbGsp5g2I5jRizqmpv-2Bk-3D) [*ABC News*](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPJ44mDWGkow6ms2nuHq265lPrPyBuMuSx-2BwLGO-2FA49SF8VhKIVZJWSrhvITybeIGLq7kxfDMvkH43siE6Yay43r-2B9xJNMlWJQ61t1ypqY-2FHbD4kvSlwbqqWePU8niVZQ6D1DVJX9wqkxjdcIQDeDboM-3DRIW0_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmflRkdqkzBdEPmj7fnjYNEniXRAm88nk7a23Lw7SGmj82OcWlAMB9ygHClXzNZPPhQH9jrX2LMCkUDiDblSS6HV3Y-2BLKWPX-2FQVO1BeCDBWtdhyHsuvIOBEyggZq42gGTwCA7iWjNe55tqxbI94cJPbSs3wO5HZANFcbEqGPHwZgZrtcvvmi1p8scNLXC0yE-2Fr17NbiOVXNVdt7YcAZTFX-2BLWUFRqHqNkn5rGCGbXb8iJg9fcYb1q-2Bhg0HCrEQm9Wz3wWoWH-2FEe1FSyrc5-2Ft3jZA-3D) **Applying the News Story** Reflect on your own experience as a caregiver or as a person receiving care from others. Discuss the biblical challenge of compassionate care, especially with regard to elders and people with chronic health conditions. **The Big Questions** 1. When have you been a caregiver? Describe the experience and how it connected to your Christian faith. 2. When, if ever, have you received care from others? If you felt like a burden, how did you address those emotions? If not, what helped you to avoid such feelings? 3. What are the central elements of compassionate care? Why are they part of Christian faith and practice? 4. How can the church do a better job of elder care? What can it do to equip its members for such service? 5. Wendy Jane Carrel, a senior care consultant, says that if we lose the home health-care workforce, "Americans will be forced to look elsewhere for care, or find a way to come up with new community solutions." What are some new community solutions that you would suggest? How can you be part of the solution? **Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope**Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion: **Exodus 20:12***Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.* (For context, read [Exodus 20:1-21](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxx2FEd3BoRBTxbt4VK5xnRi4E5McEehMxDpJnkVlPpoZwvh-2FNcNVIQocoeHMavY1lwHWy_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmflRkdqkzBdEPmj7fnjYNEniXRAm88nk7a23Lw7SGmj82OcWlAMB9ygHClXzNZPPhfcyUsyCnNVShZhTL5uSxvJ4-2BXt2zFyIgGx6lTwEZg3hZPJysEhLvnTzUTSW7lgvKxTNFbzB6FhptuytynUrqYP4tHHQsgMc2ejogL6mw9aTtyBsTOekalWI2qQjeSKYPAD5PGG-2FDyKb6e67plMrK-2B-2Bwlzvx33RBf65lVd2ApEKjTy97SXg3T-2Fv6kSNKLMK0vEnBbAIh7OpxU06xIKF4FRk-3D).) The Ten Commandments, also called the Decalogue ("ten words") are at the beginning of the section of the book of Exodus containing laws. The first verse of the chapter, "Then God spoke all these words" (v. 1), indicates that God gave these commandments directly to the people of Israel. Most of the commandments are prohibitions ("You shall not"), but two are expressed affirmatively: "Remember the Sabbath day" (v. 8) and "Honor your father and your mother" (v. 12). Sabbath-keeping is in the portion of the Decalogue concerning our relationship with God, while honoring parents is in the portion of the Decalogue concerning our interpersonal relationships. "Honor your father and your mother" mandates respect and reverence for one's parents. Obedience is not explicitly stated. The commandment cuts across gender lines and applies to mothers and fathers, daughters and sons. The commandment contains the promise that honoring your parents will result in a life in which "your days may be long" in the Promised Land. Paul describes this as "the first commandment with a promise -- so that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth" (Ephesians 6:2-3). > **Questions:** Why is the honoring of father and mother a commandment of God? What are the challenges included in it? How does keeping this commandment result in benefits such as a life in which things are "well with you"? **Mark 6:34***As [Jesus] went ashore, he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he began to teach them many things.* (For context, read [Mark 6:30-44.](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxyiFhJQqgKSXvwv6AmIspdeCsqaXCEaKH-2B7yBiXP2-2F-2Bv92PwXy5G-2Fry7EVhwFFNFospve_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmflRkdqkzBdEPmj7fnjYNEniXRAm88nk7a23Lw7SGmj82OcWlAMB9ygHClXzNZPPhYvT6ySKS5mbNI70tHN3rjfKLAxqEXREP10hePjdenfgQi-2FtUVq0oPa5QCiGJNuHvSc7bT1nGjWeTIF-2FUdO7kYSlUQk4LeMQqYw-2Fp9uL5ESDmyHWP85FDKkexxPWLVC7G5aOwq6S3SYPlIMmU8x7nBFFQjfRCAPuf4URlWmCnerXynFkj3cNE-2Fm9OVVhNlaDZqSSRTK5MGqindNaFd7wUN4-3D)) Before Jesus feeds the five thousand, he sees a great crowd and has "compassion for them." The word "passion" comes from the Latin word for suffering. We sometimes forget this when we speak of romantic passion, or the passion that someone has for a hobby. But passion is rooted in suffering, which was made clear in the Mel Gibson movie about Jesus in Jerusalem, *The Passion of the Christ*. The feeding of the five thousand takes place in Galilee. If a movie were to be made about it, it would be called *The Compassion of the Christ.* Not Passion, but Com-passion. Take the word apart, and you find that it means "with suffering" or "suffering with." Jesus has compassion for the people around him, which means that he "suffers with" them. Jesus has a sympathetic awareness of the distress of the people, combined with a strong desire to alleviate it. So, he feeds them, using just five loaves and two fish. In the same way, Jesus suffers with us in our distress. Then, when he fills us, he asks us to show compassion to others. > **Questions:** When have you had an opportunity to "suffer with" someone? How did it increase your compassion for them? What role does the church have in alleviating the distress of suffering people? How does this work honor Jesus? **John 19:26-27***When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, "Woman, here is your son." Then he said to the disciple, "Here is your mother." And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.* (For context, read [John 19:23-30](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxYPIhqtqo9iwLHO6dYtAQOfexiOCyAoPcuMeA7QyDTQN8g6JX9DkRoAY8sc7oSYS-2F9AC0_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmflRkdqkzBdEPmj7fnjYNEniXRAm88nk7a23Lw7SGmj82OcWlAMB9ygHClXzNZPPhafjev3hKbbWXFWk3UoLJtnnpZjZNfntBJyKE7IlIhg5U2GId1XmHqynNuus5FvvOnUNinXAe1dE6iNAK1iYjLUo0xSpjEnLJGDCAxwNR5vQ6PwuX-2FDWuoAEu7RW80I1ANEdeaawziyFWQf0FdaiwL8DqPVgJQUIJSrE2DdkvhWUd1-2Bh02dpRVl1Ck52VIz7jbp6gHmtxMpzpUz-2F-2F-2FhSXaM-3D).) In the 19th chapter of the gospel of John, Jesus is crucified and the soldiers take his clothes and divide them among themselves. Then they cast lots for his tunic. Looking down from the cross, Jesus sees "his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her" -- presumably John. Feeling compassion for the two of them, he says, "Woman, here is your son" and "Here is your mother." He brings them together to care for each other, since he knows he is about to die. The final act of Jesus' ministry shows love and concern for his mother and "the disciple whom he loved." He creates a relationship between two people -- one older, one younger -- that will help them both in the days to come. After this, he drinks some sour wine, says "It is finished" (v. 30), bows his head and gives up his spirit. > **Questions:** What do you find significant about Jesus showing care for his mother in the final act of his ministry? How can our care for elders reflect this priority? What sorts of supportive communities can we create among the old and the young? **Galatians 6:2***Bear one another's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.* (No context needed.) In his letter to the Galatians, the apostle Paul is writing to churches in a region called Galatia, located in the central highlands of what is now Turkey. He makes a case for the centrality of faith, and says "that a person is justified not by the works of the law but through the faith of Jesus Christ" (2:16). But then, in the final chapter of the letter, Paul encourages the Galatians to "fulfill the law of Christ," which may mean to follow the teachings of Jesus. One of these teachings is to bear "one another's burdens." Although Paul is convinced that a person is made right with God through "the faith of Jesus Christ," he is also concerned with Christian behavior. "Do not be deceived," he says; "God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow" (6:7). > **Questions:** How can you help bear the burden of an older person, or a person with chronic health concerns? What particular support can the Christian community provide to caregivers and receivers of care? Where can we improve our sowing and our reaping? **For Further Discussion** 1. "I think people get to these points where there is an illness or something that comes earlier than you'd expect," said caregiver [Brandon Will to](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPJ44mDWGkow6ms2nuHq265lPrPyBuMuSx-2BwLGO-2FA49SF8VhKIVZJWSrhvITybeIGLq7kxfDMvkH43siE6Yay43r-2B9xJNMlWJQ61t1ypqY-2FHbD4kvSlwbqqWePU8niVZQ6D1DVJX9wqkxjdcIQDeDboM-3D8wMn_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmflRkdqkzBdEPmj7fnjYNEniXRAm88nk7a23Lw7SGmj82OcWlAMB9ygHClXzNZPPhWcV1nicPsCvv7VqvpNNivbDEMeMKXYQOeqZZWw40DoO0wRym0Dy5gpOKdrclLys07D1OUn9gi34YtNGh9qBXtAMCsuIV7UGp10drm32n9RL6PJ8Rl9O-2BuaOHBLSUhMpP0Ng7g4HJnI23C2w4zMd396YQIAECmHkzWncO8d5qeVwM1LfK5cTkMp-2FyJvlBjG3df3fKnZ-2FaEQNp2uFvincojQ-3D) [*ABC News*](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPJ44mDWGkow6ms2nuHq265lPrPyBuMuSx-2BwLGO-2FA49SF8VhKIVZJWSrhvITybeIGLq7kxfDMvkH43siE6Yay43r-2B9xJNMlWJQ61t1ypqY-2FHbD4kvSlwbqqWePU8niVZQ6D1DVJX9wqkxjdcIQDeDboM-3Dq-wz_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmflRkdqkzBdEPmj7fnjYNEniXRAm88nk7a23Lw7SGmj82OcWlAMB9ygHClXzNZPPhSx6cLwOxuzQMjnsGsK4csFff-2BkkYnzh2jjTZHhRYb-2BLYE-2BaVo7Uua-2BGQs8Imo17QyJI1ven7coILkXrasPfs-2FYgXAX4yM-2FMLxQb3s9rmiJXmFpE10kFF6Ncj9qsSCvDak6YWP2mIfzaVAaXpkzAD1s1UYGb91ayZxwjsRnfZaj6cbVn-2BSx1msDe6izHlW-2BGaLwA0wXb-2FSfngTVOrBEoYew-3D). "You realize how many systems aren't in place." What systems would you like to see in place? Where and when should local, state and national governments be involved -- or not? How can the local church play a role? 2. TWW Team Member Bill Tammeus [recommends](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPAOLa5ZWR0dgfXuBpANsljbuwPiE71Hjm-2BFQzQZrCyme-2FXVgvMM-2FDb23oG3XtcKsRR0akCjLLZoCiatcprAuoW8-3DCnIl_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmflRkdqkzBdEPmj7fnjYNEniXRAm88nk7a23Lw7SGmj82OcWlAMB9ygHClXzNZPPhS1X-2BpmhNJf4y8oWMW6sNFr4cwwmV8ON-2BaCKFXcPnL23RzYCJgNZqPEt19wgDJLxNLRXuFA99UYo1bPrAoI-2Brk49wA2elRCk-2Fv7AV9QO6YR6wTNdt2T8AAvTqS2-2FNQqVNYSJKj0wpiFnOlxgAaOg-2Brg9AhfJfHdJXucCRZvfK8ZO4FMXvKtkV6v8AqXRfooFgAjMfURm8zJ7sGq-2FyTPFD3I-3D) a 2025 book called [*Caregiving Reimagined: A Practical and Spiritual Guide for Family Caregivers*](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPGRAfabCXRFNA5kzk67Eh1omNkRJYQpBZ2P10MWmlyVml4v8NNHWVJJMm7DyFD2ChAxl8Q6FW-2B4HHb-2BqwIdh-2BFwQPaHrc0fy344t1uj9hMuq2cP8DdttMSt1bT5QPyZ3YQ-3D-3DkARZ_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmflRkdqkzBdEPmj7fnjYNEniXRAm88nk7a23Lw7SGmj82OcWlAMB9ygHClXzNZPPhYcIEn-2Bx5wuLYvN73TsUhN5iz8H8a7Xqg3-2B8GaLyTksR90h8ZEYaDuCO38zrabjUuy1F-2Be5CYqYo1FQX6zd9-2FEj3z5j7qIuevTvpt6lMrsLVp6p31Lk1ET5TfOiaTXMonwp-2F-2Fl-2BzeZxPJ03Q0oSXy24JhCwvj-2BLpiwLhCgB7INUG6wDlPiqOCOtlIaroqRD-2B9CABmuZpXrxq07YeC6LpCJs-3D), by Claudia Cassidy Bennett, a long-time occupational therapist who tells the story of caring for her mother as she slowly disappeared with Alzheimer's disease. The book pays special attention to the role that religious and spiritual practices can be of great help to both the people giving care and the people receiving it. What religious and spiritual practices do you find helpful when giving care? What religious and spiritual practices would be helpful to you as you received care? Be specific. 3. [Senior care specialist Wendy Jane Carrel asks](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPKTBtxqaouUINJa1JE666-2FNm9DiBSzM8FJAUNTTVFiDCbrlcC-2FWoK5KyCr7CqJTQeAaku-2BDH-2FLMhXou0pWZms-2B-2B2boGac7qTJkoXZZNvDBI9cNEm_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmflRkdqkzBdEPmj7fnjYNEniXRAm88nk7a23Lw7SGmj82OcWlAMB9ygHClXzNZPPhe9uuq2oIuKJUJ3hGH-2BHNxnjAtFSmuImmbu4ZVexf8u4GE-2F3ij5dkTQEuo2vaU1F-2FdVD9e-2BjESBOaoCENoKYWdc78j3U-2BiOiuT4JBZqTXiFtb-2FUSEKrBbN97tjA5vJIuqJXcfvWIIXBBig-2FfUceD7IqTOQx9nhIw0iJ2LuNKjIP4dqOQJbVpC-2B29K3w-2BUvggDZy5zoFyr9pW8S0fBRdvm1c-3D), "Shouldn't your departure be just as holy and sacred as when you were welcomed into this world?" She challenges us all to build values of compassion, respect and intergenerational support into new caregiving frameworks, to ensure aging populations are cared for with dignity and communal solidarity. What more can you do for people at the end of life? What can your church do? Offer at least one concrete example. 4. In the book of Ruth, Naomi says to her Moabite daughters-in-law, "Turn back, my daughters, go your way, for I am too old to have a husband" (1:12). But Ruth says to her, "Do not press me to leave you, to turn back from following you! Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people and your God my God" (v. 16). What impresses you about the faithfulness of Ruth to Naomi? How can we show this kind of devotion to our elders? Where do you see God in Ruth's actions? **Responding to the News** Take a look at your family, your church and your community, and identify where you can be involved in caregiving. Make a commitment to reach out to someone this week who could benefit from your attention, whether an elder or a person with a chronic condition. Connect your efforts to the compassionate care of Jesus for the people around him. **Prayer** Help us, Lord God, to honor our mothers and our fathers, and to serve those who have provided us with parental love and care. Make our church community more attentive to the needs of elders, and inspire us to bear each other's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. In Jesus' name. Amen. ****Copyright 2025 Communication Resources**** [Unsubscribe From This List](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/asm/unsubscribe/?user_id=14323725&data=eje4KndOzbHoPMbftnFquLi5I-gY-EnXl-TpjVG2GkhoMDAwdTAwMLslnQPayNkJRAUseZTi8JoIOK6lqM4rj6RewCK5VKSHGpi3uFKyEZHsPtcWJ0stiAGItb6psR-TN4HOh15gIg07jnETXi9PsxlWMfHWQtAUUs2HZBO1v3w-lV6KjRuQTUhNa3R4wPu3KKFSFv1B0-d8Ey-82hkdj_2GjVrR6aXOH55569zMTfYQiP2pMCmyatvKCtOOStBdC-5zicA7J4klUtIKCyFYOxLVtXCyJDF5uNQEwIpSMmeTUls4MVNqGivASsQXlP1Vgwg7eTOn19JGqemk0iAakrSCdOtwLFM-UOeQFxpzpuHXVfW4iE0-Tams8dYRp1Yle1rGk7qasLjvLxYTvKfbc4gpWyyobOB1C8rCU5qYzBl4E8I3z4yLljcZqMgbBzvBZd5gJPKL-8B4lFqSWoLZ7GQgE5Oeb0saJA7iAyOdKOfRx3hj7aLRMxQ657YBE2nto26KBhLnvgXkdGeMZEelKJbzI7ni4iP7fqm1wjOZv0lE6P7-cGKpkipd9rbkd1jCbmKFQ4M8Ys3jW12RTXpbTS2fWSxWfK0YExmQbQ51Yueqq0CT8J8O6o0-pH-NKQzDz-sV7CoZUXw=) <div>Dear Class Members, <div style="mso-element: para-border-div; border: none; border-bottom: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in 0in 8.0pt 0in; background: white;"> In the United States and other developed countries, a "silver tsunami" is underway -- aging populations are colliding with a shrinking pool of caregivers and the soaring costs of care. In an attempt to respond faithfully to what is going on around us, this installment of The Wired Word will focus on compassionate service and the biblical challenge of caring for elders. <center><img src="https://www.thewiredword.com/\_img/tww\_logo\_email.jpg"/></center> United States Faces Caregiver Shortage and Rising Costs The Wired Word for the Week of August 3, 2025 In the News <div style="mso-element: para-border-div; border: none; border-bottom: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in 0in 8.0pt 0in; background: white;"> Back in the early 2000s, senior care specialist Wendy Jane Carrel saw the first signs of a "silver tsunami" in Southern California -- a tidal wave of aging Americans washing over a shrinking pool of caregivers. The problem was compounded by the soaring costs of elder care. Back then, she says to Deseret News, the "average American couldn't even afford the cost." Today, the situation has only grown worse for those needing care and those who offer it. And in spite of the fact that elder care is expensive, much of that money is not being shared with the caregivers themselves. Carrel reports that she has worked alongside caregivers who often earn what she considers to be poverty-level wages. Wealthy nations including the United States have been threatened by a "demographic time bomb" for years. By 2060, 155 million Europeans will be 65 or older -- roughly 30 percent of the population. In Japan, where a third of the population is already 65 or older, there will be a need for 2.72 million nursing care workers by 2040. One in six Americans is aged 65 or older, a group that will approach one in four in 2050. While many of that age group can care for themselves, many cannot. "We are all living longer," says Joanna Hofman, a senior research leader at Rand Europe. "There are just more of us to take care of and not enough of us to do the caring." "There are an estimated 63 million caregivers in the U.S., paid or unpaid [about 1.25 caregivers for each person 65 and older], who provide care for people who rely on them for basic needs," reports the Bloomberg School at Johns Hopkins University. While this might seem like a large number, the caregiving workforce is under strain from the growing number of people needing care and the limited resources available to pay for it. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that demand for personal care and home health aides will increase by 21 percent between 2021 and 2031. As this number increases, cuts to programs like Medicaid will reduce support for both caregivers and those they care for -- particularly older adults and persons with disabilities or chronic illnesses. Sixty-three percent of nursing home residents receive Medicaid funding. For most of American history, reports Deseret News, caring for aging parents or frail relatives was a private act, carried out in homes across the country. Rarely recognized as work, it was seen as part of being a family. Even today, the vast majority of care is performed by relatives, with women doing most of the work. In her book The Age of Dignity: Preparing for the Elder Boom in a Changing America, Ai-jen Poo estimates that 48 million Americans provide unpaid care for loved ones -- labor valued at $600 billion. In 2012, Janice Will was diagnosed with Parkinson's, a condition that causes parts of the brain to deteriorate. Janice's son Brandon realized that his mom needed constant care in her home. In Illinois, Brandon is paid 19 hours a week by Medicaid as a familial caregiver, even though he provides around-the-clock care for his mom. Janice, 73, has seen the emotional, physical and financial strain of needing care, and she spoke to ABC News about often feeling like a burden to her son. "He likes to tell me I'm not a burden, but I feel like a burden because he would have been on a career in New York," she says; "he sort of edited his dream to be different, by including me.” Brandon, 42, reminds his mom that she is not weighing him down. "Parkinson's is the burden," he says. "It's one we share." Because of the changing structure of many families in the United States and abroad, caregiving has become a paid profession for many. "Traditionally, it was the woman's role to stay home and care for parents and children," says health law attorney Stacey Lee to Bloomberg. "But it is very common now to have two working parents, and as a result, there is not that pool of free labor to care for a population that is living much longer than they did 40 or 50 years ago." Individualism, urbanization and economic demands have also been factors in caregiving becoming an institutionalized and commercial industry. But despite this shift, commercialized care has become inaccessible for many families. According to a 2024 report from the Kaiser Family Foundation, the median annual cost of a private room in a nursing home is $116,800. Full-time home health aide services surpass $288,000. These amounts exceed the median income of $36,000 for Medicare beneficiaries (who may also have non-income wealth assets such as home equity). As a result, nearly 41 million Americans are now providing unpaid care to adults in need. The demand for in-home care has led to global migration. In the United States, immigrants make up about 25 percent of the home care work force. Many are women from the Philippines, Nigeria, Jamaica and Haiti, attracted by the promise of steady work, even if the hours are long and the pay is low by American standards -- home health aides earn a median wage of $16 an hour. Some are now leaving, seeking better opportunities elsewhere or returning home. "If we lose that workforce," says Carrel, the senior care consultant, "more Americans will be forced to look elsewhere for care, or find a way to come up with new community solutions." More on this story can be found at these links: <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPKTBtxqaouUINJa1JE666-2FNm9DiBSzM8FJAUNTTVFiDCbrlcC-2FWoK5KyCr7CqJTQeAaku-2BDH-2FLMhXou0pWZms-2B-2B2boGac7qTJkoXZZNvDBI9O6w1\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmflRkdqkzBdEPmj7fnjYNEniXRAm88nk7a23Lw7SGmj82OcWlAMB9ygHClXzNZPPhYtDMmbmGpmwlqbKh9woctSteltYRirN-2FMBzQuWILX5M5JTuTa378KdeWXAdo6T9tLFFHz-2F-2Fs-2Fg-2FzUjztzuFuqICUS4-2B7ziQ7P-2BEfoq7d16P8DydILc4Zfgd705vlnYcqRCUd67g4DRTlTxBROlDm6GI79wpxUuyJphEvJyE9jYkQkfVcYPUitQn4PclrA7PSJ8cif-2BmFhH5l3w19kIpUNA-3D">The Great Global Caregiving Crisis. </a><a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPKTBtxqaouUINJa1JE666-2FNm9DiBSzM8FJAUNTTVFiDCbrlcC-2FWoK5KyCr7CqJTQeAaku-2BDH-2FLMhXou0pWZms-2B-2B2boGac7qTJkoXZZNvDBI9ePrT\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmflRkdqkzBdEPmj7fnjYNEniXRAm88nk7a23Lw7SGmj82OcWlAMB9ygHClXzNZPPhdfZ5gBtvRHI3jVR3mvD6q6QNmkAeGGSto-2BpwXenUcQUNBIdztJ-2FSF3ST6caFTE4FWUtTsUvQc8boVAl5K4mo-2B6rmNPUuBB4ewHWKsJ7bBXXEAoWGXPq2azCTsmFexaMUZmIv4DRe4UXcRp-2F7yXz4e0ZvL0XYFaahE-2FOkTXarTxNk3NZbhMKy7MA5yitnpHVQohZJVPK2-2BhkqioRBgn24-2B0-3D">Deseret News</a> <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPNUixGa-2FLBiwckQg6Kzd7UdKbcVe95CcH7t-2BSXcffmKUGcqu-2FMJ-2Fbl9Wi4LlxGchccWdo4fL8EAvJIEyncIFYyE-3DYkTE\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmflRkdqkzBdEPmj7fnjYNEniXRAm88nk7a23Lw7SGmj82OcWlAMB9ygHClXzNZPPhXsHkLxf4loB-2BXH1lk1zBNDynrM62NLKCpYjAOafofGOe6gJXbJwXtyPH5rOde09ZwZW2sS7GtZLApdZCgK-2FogUbUB40JODJPFUTjePWb6Jw-2B9qKBdoattwqc-2BI2gTBigCfFdUSXiYZGVagV3EDc9s8bZl-2Bc-2FDz9DI-2BwWvirTPyS-2Bl-2BbWtNojRV5bOqtbkvnjAA3Dxnd0vOY6VdQKbQA6AM-3D">What Is the Caregiver Crisis? </a><a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPNUixGa-2FLBiwckQg6Kzd7UdKbcVe95CcH7t-2BSXcffmKUGcqu-2FMJ-2Fbl9Wi4LlxGchccWdo4fL8EAvJIEyncIFYyE-3D5tiq\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmflRkdqkzBdEPmj7fnjYNEniXRAm88nk7a23Lw7SGmj82OcWlAMB9ygHClXzNZPPhTBLKrcb5XJaTDoj1020B6YqrSnWxo8ptjGvBnc9Vw75g0hQEcz-2B54KeE4-2F4tP0KX2qyPE3xw52MTVEVaVmr5o3mYKMjcbdwlks20l6jOGZiGb61ng0Dqvd1LecpittzH-2Fhqzohm6HBBEwp7lfUoIOuLHpyJ9kKdHhmCxNZ-2BO1BXeeNW5HVPUV-2Fn7KtdoYXZ-2BcNZJ5J16y-2B7KjS22Up9GpY-3D">Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health</a> <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPJ44mDWGkow6ms2nuHq265lPrPyBuMuSx-2BwLGO-2FA49SF8VhKIVZJWSrhvITybeIGLq7kxfDMvkH43siE6Yay43r-2B9xJNMlWJQ61t1ypqY-2FHbD4kvSlwbqqWePU8niVZQ6D1DVJX9wqkxjdcIQDeDboM-3DhCW4\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmflRkdqkzBdEPmj7fnjYNEniXRAm88nk7a23Lw7SGmj82OcWlAMB9ygHClXzNZPPhXmY7ChRXoL9WbcsStQsDjG-2FbE2ZOe-2BI-2B0nWa1BM1IRRqD-2BBmNAGgTuVwyqvBeK7XI-2BrMRkgmb91tQ4LSV5Q3unnagPMhI5Nzy771Z7TqhpKX41tPBExuZu-2B6WBFnCKJTUY1cGP59jSNY1Dk4Ei2Agaho-2BnoIrN7h4DgcP-2F5xyr3E-2ByhssV9jbQYe8-2BTxbAN2-2FzYbGsp5g2I5jRizqmpv-2Bk-3D">Invisible Crisis: America's Caregivers and the $600 Billion Unpaid Cost of Their Labor.</a><a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPJ44mDWGkow6ms2nuHq265lPrPyBuMuSx-2BwLGO-2FA49SF8VhKIVZJWSrhvITybeIGLq7kxfDMvkH43siE6Yay43r-2B9xJNMlWJQ61t1ypqY-2FHbD4kvSlwbqqWePU8niVZQ6D1DVJX9wqkxjdcIQDeDboM-3DRIW0\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmflRkdqkzBdEPmj7fnjYNEniXRAm88nk7a23Lw7SGmj82OcWlAMB9ygHClXzNZPPhQH9jrX2LMCkUDiDblSS6HV3Y-2BLKWPX-2FQVO1BeCDBWtdhyHsuvIOBEyggZq42gGTwCA7iWjNe55tqxbI94cJPbSs3wO5HZANFcbEqGPHwZgZrtcvvmi1p8scNLXC0yE-2Fr17NbiOVXNVdt7YcAZTFX-2BLWUFRqHqNkn5rGCGbXb8iJg9fcYb1q-2Bhg0HCrEQm9Wz3wWoWH-2FEe1FSyrc5-2Ft3jZA-3D"> ABC News</a> </div> Applying the News Story <div style="mso-element: para-border-div; border: none; border-bottom: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in 0in 8.0pt 0in; background: white;"> Reflect on your own experience as a caregiver or as a person receiving care from others. Discuss the biblical challenge of compassionate care, especially with regard to elders and people with chronic health conditions. </div> The Big Questions 1. When have you been a caregiver? Describe the experience and how it connected to your Christian faith. 2. When, if ever, have you received care from others? If you felt like a burden, how did you address those emotions? If not, what helped you to avoid such feelings? 3. What are the central elements of compassionate care? Why are they part of Christian faith and practice? 4. How can the church do a better job of elder care? What can it do to equip its members for such service? 5. Wendy Jane Carrel, a senior care consultant, says that if we lose the home health-care workforce, "Americans will be forced to look elsewhere for care, or find a way to come up with new community solutions." What are some new community solutions that you would suggest? How can you be part of the solution? Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion: Exodus 20:12 Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. (For context, read <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxx2FEd3BoRBTxbt4VK5xnRi4E5McEehMxDpJnkVlPpoZwvh-2FNcNVIQocoeHMavY1lwHWy\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmflRkdqkzBdEPmj7fnjYNEniXRAm88nk7a23Lw7SGmj82OcWlAMB9ygHClXzNZPPhfcyUsyCnNVShZhTL5uSxvJ4-2BXt2zFyIgGx6lTwEZg3hZPJysEhLvnTzUTSW7lgvKxTNFbzB6FhptuytynUrqYP4tHHQsgMc2ejogL6mw9aTtyBsTOekalWI2qQjeSKYPAD5PGG-2FDyKb6e67plMrK-2B-2Bwlzvx33RBf65lVd2ApEKjTy97SXg3T-2Fv6kSNKLMK0vEnBbAIh7OpxU06xIKF4FRk-3D">Exodus 20:1-21</a>.) The Ten Commandments, also called the Decalogue ("ten words") are at the beginning of the section of the book of Exodus containing laws. The first verse of the chapter, "Then God spoke all these words" (v. 1), indicates that God gave these commandments directly to the people of Israel. Most of the commandments are prohibitions ("You shall not"), but two are expressed affirmatively: "Remember the Sabbath day" (v. 8) and "Honor your father and your mother" (v. 12). Sabbath-keeping is in the portion of the Decalogue concerning our relationship with God, while honoring parents is in the portion of the Decalogue concerning our interpersonal relationships. "Honor your father and your mother" mandates respect and reverence for one's parents. Obedience is not explicitly stated. The commandment cuts across gender lines and applies to mothers and fathers, daughters and sons. The commandment contains the promise that honoring your parents will result in a life in which "your days may be long" in the Promised Land. Paul describes this as "the first commandment with a promise -- so that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth" (Ephesians 6:2-3). <blockquote> Questions: Why is the honoring of father and mother a commandment of God? What are the challenges included in it? How does keeping this commandment result in benefits such as a life in which things are "well with you"? </blockquote> Mark 6:34 As [Jesus] went ashore, he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he began to teach them many things. (For context, read <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxyiFhJQqgKSXvwv6AmIspdeCsqaXCEaKH-2B7yBiXP2-2F-2Bv92PwXy5G-2Fry7EVhwFFNFospve\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmflRkdqkzBdEPmj7fnjYNEniXRAm88nk7a23Lw7SGmj82OcWlAMB9ygHClXzNZPPhYvT6ySKS5mbNI70tHN3rjfKLAxqEXREP10hePjdenfgQi-2FtUVq0oPa5QCiGJNuHvSc7bT1nGjWeTIF-2FUdO7kYSlUQk4LeMQqYw-2Fp9uL5ESDmyHWP85FDKkexxPWLVC7G5aOwq6S3SYPlIMmU8x7nBFFQjfRCAPuf4URlWmCnerXynFkj3cNE-2Fm9OVVhNlaDZqSSRTK5MGqindNaFd7wUN4-3D">Mark 6:30-44.</a>) Before Jesus feeds the five thousand, he sees a great crowd and has "compassion for them." The word "passion" comes from the Latin word for suffering. We sometimes forget this when we speak of romantic passion, or the passion that someone has for a hobby. But passion is rooted in suffering, which was made clear in the Mel Gibson movie about Jesus in Jerusalem, The Passion of the Christ. The feeding of the five thousand takes place in Galilee. If a movie were to be made about it, it would be called The Compassion of the Christ. Not Passion, but Com-passion. Take the word apart, and you find that it means "with suffering" or "suffering with." Jesus has compassion for the people around him, which means that he "suffers with" them. Jesus has a sympathetic awareness of the distress of the people, combined with a strong desire to alleviate it. So, he feeds them, using just five loaves and two fish. In the same way, Jesus suffers with us in our distress. Then, when he fills us, he asks us to show compassion to others. <blockquote> Questions: When have you had an opportunity to "suffer with" someone? How did it increase your compassion for them? What role does the church have in alleviating the distress of suffering people? How does this work honor Jesus? </blockquote> John 19:26-27 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, "Woman, here is your son." Then he said to the disciple, "Here is your mother." And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home. (For context, read <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxYPIhqtqo9iwLHO6dYtAQOfexiOCyAoPcuMeA7QyDTQN8g6JX9DkRoAY8sc7oSYS-2F9AC0\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmflRkdqkzBdEPmj7fnjYNEniXRAm88nk7a23Lw7SGmj82OcWlAMB9ygHClXzNZPPhafjev3hKbbWXFWk3UoLJtnnpZjZNfntBJyKE7IlIhg5U2GId1XmHqynNuus5FvvOnUNinXAe1dE6iNAK1iYjLUo0xSpjEnLJGDCAxwNR5vQ6PwuX-2FDWuoAEu7RW80I1ANEdeaawziyFWQf0FdaiwL8DqPVgJQUIJSrE2DdkvhWUd1-2Bh02dpRVl1Ck52VIz7jbp6gHmtxMpzpUz-2F-2F-2FhSXaM-3D">John 19:23-30</a>.) In the 19th chapter of the gospel of John, Jesus is crucified and the soldiers take his clothes and divide them among themselves. Then they cast lots for his tunic. Looking down from the cross, Jesus sees "his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her" -- presumably John. Feeling compassion for the two of them, he says, "Woman, here is your son" and "Here is your mother." He brings them together to care for each other, since he knows he is about to die. The final act of Jesus' ministry shows love and concern for his mother and "the disciple whom he loved." He creates a relationship between two people -- one older, one younger -- that will help them both in the days to come. After this, he drinks some sour wine, says "It is finished" (v. 30), bows his head and gives up his spirit. <blockquote> Questions: What do you find significant about Jesus showing care for his mother in the final act of his ministry? How can our care for elders reflect this priority? What sorts of supportive communities can we create among the old and the young? </blockquote> Galatians 6:2 Bear one another's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. (No context needed.) In his letter to the Galatians, the apostle Paul is writing to churches in a region called Galatia, located in the central highlands of what is now Turkey. He makes a case for the centrality of faith, and says "that a person is justified not by the works of the law but through the faith of Jesus Christ" (2:16). But then, in the final chapter of the letter, Paul encourages the Galatians to "fulfill the law of Christ," which may mean to follow the teachings of Jesus. One of these teachings is to bear "one another's burdens." Although Paul is convinced that a person is made right with God through "the faith of Jesus Christ," he is also concerned with Christian behavior. "Do not be deceived," he says; "God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow" (6:7). <blockquote> Questions: How can you help bear the burden of an older person, or a person with chronic health concerns? What particular support can the Christian community provide to caregivers and receivers of care? Where can we improve our sowing and our reaping? </blockquote> For Further Discussion 1. "I think people get to these points where there is an illness or something that comes earlier than you'd expect," said caregiver <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPJ44mDWGkow6ms2nuHq265lPrPyBuMuSx-2BwLGO-2FA49SF8VhKIVZJWSrhvITybeIGLq7kxfDMvkH43siE6Yay43r-2B9xJNMlWJQ61t1ypqY-2FHbD4kvSlwbqqWePU8niVZQ6D1DVJX9wqkxjdcIQDeDboM-3D8wMn\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmflRkdqkzBdEPmj7fnjYNEniXRAm88nk7a23Lw7SGmj82OcWlAMB9ygHClXzNZPPhWcV1nicPsCvv7VqvpNNivbDEMeMKXYQOeqZZWw40DoO0wRym0Dy5gpOKdrclLys07D1OUn9gi34YtNGh9qBXtAMCsuIV7UGp10drm32n9RL6PJ8Rl9O-2BuaOHBLSUhMpP0Ng7g4HJnI23C2w4zMd396YQIAECmHkzWncO8d5qeVwM1LfK5cTkMp-2FyJvlBjG3df3fKnZ-2FaEQNp2uFvincojQ-3D">Brandon Will to </a><a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPJ44mDWGkow6ms2nuHq265lPrPyBuMuSx-2BwLGO-2FA49SF8VhKIVZJWSrhvITybeIGLq7kxfDMvkH43siE6Yay43r-2B9xJNMlWJQ61t1ypqY-2FHbD4kvSlwbqqWePU8niVZQ6D1DVJX9wqkxjdcIQDeDboM-3Dq-wz\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmflRkdqkzBdEPmj7fnjYNEniXRAm88nk7a23Lw7SGmj82OcWlAMB9ygHClXzNZPPhSx6cLwOxuzQMjnsGsK4csFff-2BkkYnzh2jjTZHhRYb-2BLYE-2BaVo7Uua-2BGQs8Imo17QyJI1ven7coILkXrasPfs-2FYgXAX4yM-2FMLxQb3s9rmiJXmFpE10kFF6Ncj9qsSCvDak6YWP2mIfzaVAaXpkzAD1s1UYGb91ayZxwjsRnfZaj6cbVn-2BSx1msDe6izHlW-2BGaLwA0wXb-2FSfngTVOrBEoYew-3D">ABC News</a>. "You realize how many systems aren't in place." What systems would you like to see in place? Where and when should local, state and national governments be involved -- or not? How can the local church play a role? 2. TWW Team Member Bill Tammeus <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPAOLa5ZWR0dgfXuBpANsljbuwPiE71Hjm-2BFQzQZrCyme-2FXVgvMM-2FDb23oG3XtcKsRR0akCjLLZoCiatcprAuoW8-3DCnIl\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmflRkdqkzBdEPmj7fnjYNEniXRAm88nk7a23Lw7SGmj82OcWlAMB9ygHClXzNZPPhS1X-2BpmhNJf4y8oWMW6sNFr4cwwmV8ON-2BaCKFXcPnL23RzYCJgNZqPEt19wgDJLxNLRXuFA99UYo1bPrAoI-2Brk49wA2elRCk-2Fv7AV9QO6YR6wTNdt2T8AAvTqS2-2FNQqVNYSJKj0wpiFnOlxgAaOg-2Brg9AhfJfHdJXucCRZvfK8ZO4FMXvKtkV6v8AqXRfooFgAjMfURm8zJ7sGq-2FyTPFD3I-3D">recommends</a> a 2025 book called <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPGRAfabCXRFNA5kzk67Eh1omNkRJYQpBZ2P10MWmlyVml4v8NNHWVJJMm7DyFD2ChAxl8Q6FW-2B4HHb-2BqwIdh-2BFwQPaHrc0fy344t1uj9hMuq2cP8DdttMSt1bT5QPyZ3YQ-3D-3DkARZ\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmflRkdqkzBdEPmj7fnjYNEniXRAm88nk7a23Lw7SGmj82OcWlAMB9ygHClXzNZPPhYcIEn-2Bx5wuLYvN73TsUhN5iz8H8a7Xqg3-2B8GaLyTksR90h8ZEYaDuCO38zrabjUuy1F-2Be5CYqYo1FQX6zd9-2FEj3z5j7qIuevTvpt6lMrsLVp6p31Lk1ET5TfOiaTXMonwp-2F-2Fl-2BzeZxPJ03Q0oSXy24JhCwvj-2BLpiwLhCgB7INUG6wDlPiqOCOtlIaroqRD-2B9CABmuZpXrxq07YeC6LpCJs-3D">Caregiving Reimagined: A Practical and Spiritual Guide for Family Caregivers</a>, by Claudia Cassidy Bennett, a long-time occupational therapist who tells the story of caring for her mother as she slowly disappeared with Alzheimer's disease. The book pays special attention to the role that religious and spiritual practices can be of great help to both the people giving care and the people receiving it. What religious and spiritual practices do you find helpful when giving care? What religious and spiritual practices would be helpful to you as you received care? Be specific. 3. <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPKTBtxqaouUINJa1JE666-2FNm9DiBSzM8FJAUNTTVFiDCbrlcC-2FWoK5KyCr7CqJTQeAaku-2BDH-2FLMhXou0pWZms-2B-2B2boGac7qTJkoXZZNvDBI9cNEm\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmflRkdqkzBdEPmj7fnjYNEniXRAm88nk7a23Lw7SGmj82OcWlAMB9ygHClXzNZPPhe9uuq2oIuKJUJ3hGH-2BHNxnjAtFSmuImmbu4ZVexf8u4GE-2F3ij5dkTQEuo2vaU1F-2FdVD9e-2BjESBOaoCENoKYWdc78j3U-2BiOiuT4JBZqTXiFtb-2FUSEKrBbN97tjA5vJIuqJXcfvWIIXBBig-2FfUceD7IqTOQx9nhIw0iJ2LuNKjIP4dqOQJbVpC-2B29K3w-2BUvggDZy5zoFyr9pW8S0fBRdvm1c-3D">Senior care specialist Wendy Jane Carrel asks</a>, "Shouldn't your departure be just as holy and sacred as when you were welcomed into this world?" She challenges us all to build values of compassion, respect and intergenerational support into new caregiving frameworks, to ensure aging populations are cared for with dignity and communal solidarity. What more can you do for people at the end of life? What can your church do? Offer at least one concrete example. 4. In the book of Ruth, Naomi says to her Moabite daughters-in-law, "Turn back, my daughters, go your way, for I am too old to have a husband" (1:12). But Ruth says to her, "Do not press me to leave you, to turn back from following you! Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people and your God my God" (v. 16). What impresses you about the faithfulness of Ruth to Naomi? How can we show this kind of devotion to our elders? Where do you see God in Ruth's actions? Responding to the News Take a look at your family, your church and your community, and identify where you can be involved in caregiving. Make a commitment to reach out to someone this week who could benefit from your attention, whether an elder or a person with a chronic condition. Connect your efforts to the compassionate care of Jesus for the people around him. Prayer Help us, Lord God, to honor our mothers and our fathers, and to serve those who have provided us with parental love and care. Make our church community more attentive to the needs of elders, and inspire us to bear each other's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. In Jesus' name. Amen. 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