Everything Elderly is on Saturday mornings at 8:30, on 1290 am WLBY, sponsored by Senior Helpers. This past holiday weekend, we aired an encore program with guests from the First Presbyterian Church and from Parents Changing Spaces.

Laurie Kotchenruther and Jerry Gray are with the Stephen Ministry, a program at the First Presbyterian Church in Ann Arbor. They are both Stephen Ministers, lay ministers that provide spiritual care. They “walk along” with their care receiver and give support. They are available to that person in a time of need, or a time of difficulty. Stephen Ministry is not counseling in the traditional sense. It’s not about fixing the problem, it’s more focused on listening. About 60 percent of their care receivers are seniors.

Stephen Ministry is a large international organization, with more than 10,000 active groups. It is a non-denominational Christian program. There are about 10 Stephen Ministry groups in Ann Arbor.

Stephen Ministers are all volunteers — Christians willing to learn and make themselves available to help others in need. These caregivers are trained over several months and continue to receive continuing education. The Stephen Ministers also have ongoing supervision, where they receive coaching and support from other Stephen Minister colleagues.

Confidentiality is an important aspect of the program. The caregiver/care receiver relationship is similar to that of a doctor/patient or lawyer/client. The Stephen Minister and their care receivers usually meet once a week but can meet more often if necessary.

Laurie appreciates being a Stephen Minister, as it allows her to help people grow in a positive spiritual way and has allowed her to grow closer to God. Jerry very much enjoys working with the other Stephen Ministers; they are nice, fun people.

If you would like more information about Stephen Ministry, you can contact the First Presbyterian Church at 734-662-4466, or go to their website, firstpresbyterian.org. To listen to the full 12-minute segment click the audio link below:

Cindy Morley is the owner of Parents Changes Spaces, a free senior living referral service. The company’s objective is to help families locate and secure alternative living arrangements when a loved one can no longer live independently. Cindy’s company takes the stress out of the lives of elderly parents and their families.

Parents Changing Spaces started over three years ago. Cindy works with several of her family members to provide a very useful service.

If you have an elderly father and/or mother you should pay close attention to how they handle their daily chores. Seniors can become overwhelmed with laundry, cleaning and meal preparation. They may forget to pay bills and, more importantly, forget to take their medications. Cindy can help families address these concerns.

Parents Changing Spaces works closely with each family to fully understand their specific needs and requirements. Then they develop appropriate customized options. There is no charge to the client for Cindy’s services. Her organization is compensated by referral fees from the facilities in the senior community.

Parents Changing Spaces works with people at all income levels. Cindy knows and understands the various government programs available for senior housing assistance, including My Choice and the Veterans Administration programs.

Cindy loves seeing the relief on the faces of the families when their loved one has found the optimal living situation, and their mom/dad is happy and making new friends. She shared a great story where a married couple found “their little slice of heaven.”

To get in touch with Cindy Morley or Parents Changing Spaces, please call 248-875-2052, or go to the website parentschangingspaces.com. To listen to the full 11-minute discussion click the audio link below:

Alan Caldwell is the owner of Senior Helpers, providing in-home care services, primarily to the elderly. He can be contacted at acaldwell@seniorhelpers.com, or at 734-927-3111.