Pilgrim Care - St Andrews

Pilgrim Care St Andrews

 


 

 

Notices: will appear here of upcoming events.

PILGRIM CARE 'Pi Project'

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Pilgrim Care has been innovative in reaching out to local care homes, the St Andrews community hospital and individual elderly people who may be isolated or shielding. We have provided all the care homes in St Andrews with small, internet based video players ('Raspberry Pi'  Microcomputers, pictured) which are simply connected to a television set. These enable residents to remain connected with the local community and their friends, watching live or recorded services from St Andrews churches, participate in chair exercise classes, view cultural events from the university, and potentially watch local and family events such as weddings and graduations. Appropriate programming is selected by Pilgrim Care or requested by viewers and remotely downloaded. There is no need for residents to bother with tapes or disks, nor do they need any computer skills, they just turn on the television at the appropriate time.  A typical programme schedule is shown below.

We would love to make these players generally available to other elderly people in the area. If you would like to donate towards this effort, the players cost us £79 each including the first year of programming. Why not sponsor one of these players.

 

 

PILGRIM CARE Parish Nursing Project

Pilgrim Care St Andrews' Parish Nurse serves the elderly of St Andrews and District.  Cath Carter (RN, BN(Hons), MSc) brings a wealth of professional experience to her work.

This ministry is conducted in cooperation with Parish Nursing Ministries(UK),  a national charity. Based in the local church community, parish nurses support people towards whole person healthcare. Whether it’s simply giving moral support during a medical crisis – giving general health advice – “signposting” people to various support or medical services – praying for people – clarifying medical procedures or issues, etc – or simply listening (which they do an awful lot of!) - they focus on the person, rather than just a specific medical condition

Pilgrim Care is a local charity whose primary aim is to care for elderly residents of St Andrews. Its long-term goal is to establish a care village of assisted living houses and associated care home in the St Andrews area, to be run with a Christian ethos, but serving people of all faiths or none.

Pilgrim Care has for several years been providing training for pastoral carers.  “The appointment of a Parish Nurse is a logical step for us.” said Dr David Weeks, former chairman of the board of Pilgrim Care. “We are eager to serve the care needs, physical and spiritual, of elderly people and to do so with a distinctly Christian Ethos. Showing the love of Christ by caring for people’s need for hope, purpose and a sense of being loved and valued.”

Nurse Carter works with elderly people who may need a little extra time adjusting to new circumstances, understanding medication changes or medical advice from doctors, or who perhaps need an advocate to help them receive the services they need.

In this role, Cath reports to Celia Sprot (RGN) a Senior Nurse and board member of Pilgrim Care.

At a time when the demographics of our nation are changing, with an increasing number of people in their senior years, Parish Nursing has the ability to complement the excellent work of local NHS doctors and nurses and council social services. The NHS has long recognized that people’s well-being requires more than prescriptions and operations but that we also have a need for spiritual care. As a highly qualified and experienced nurse, registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council, and with a vibrant personal Christian faith, Cath is in an excellent position to provide such care in the community.

This new role is led by Pilgrim Care on behalf of all the churches in St Andrews and we cannot overstate our thanks to local church members and their leaders for their support, both financial and practical, which makes this possible.  As a result, services are provided to patients free of any charge.

What is Pilgrim Care?

Established in 1995 Pilgrim Care is a St Andrews based charity that grew out of a desire to provide Christian care facilities and pastoral care support for the elderly in the St Andrews area.

Pilgrim Care’s Vision

Is to develop a secure environment for elderly people in St Andrews.  The intention is to develop a complex comprising extra-care housing units available for purchase or rent and a nursing home that would be open to both the occupants of the extra-care housing and members of the wider community.

Places would be offered on the basis of need rather than the ability to pay.

Pilgrim Care has a related objective of supporting local churches with pastoral care training for the benefit of all of the elderly in the St Andrews district whether in their own homes or in residential care.

Pilgrim Care’s Underlying Principles

·       Highest professional standards of care will be given

·       Care will be provided with no distinction on grounds of race, creed or ability to pay

What next?

To take this project forward we are looking to engage with members of local churches to publicise our project and its vision.

 

Can you help us?

·       To share our vision with others

·       To pray for our project and all involved

·       To raise funds

·       To identify suitable sites

·       To identify suitable funding partners

 

Support

If you would like to assist us financially, become an active supporter or contact us for some other reason, please contact us.  Information on donating or becoming a member of Pilgrim Care is available opposite.

 


 

 

Contact Pilgrim Care St Andrews

by emailing

 

 

Pilgrim Care Directors

Company Hon. Treasurer:

Mr David Maggs, 33 Learmonth Place, St Andrews. KY16 8XF

Directors:

Mr. K. Cochran (Chair)

Mrs Bea Cowan

Prof. David Harrison

Dr David Jackson

Mrs Celia Sprot (Nurse Director)

Members and Friends are invited to our

 Annual General Meeting
onTuesday 22nd November at 7:00PM.
At the Community Hub, St David's Centre
East Sands, St Andrews

Guest Speaker:
Professor David Harrison
School of Medicine

See our Annual Report and Accounts


 

For those wishing to support the work of Pilgrim Care, the following links may be helpful:

Company Registration No.: 1573677

Scottish Charity No.: SC023571

Published by St Andrews Media