Running Alpha Course in a Retirement Home

By Tony Copple
August 2000

Some Facts about Kilian Residence:
 
Kilian Residence was opened in 1998 and houses 53 residents, 50% of whom suffer from some form of dementia. Average age is 80+. There are 30 staff.

Not too many Alphas have been staged in retirement homes, so our experience at Kilian Residence, Kanata, Ontario may be of interest to others. We were lucky in our choice of which retirement home to approach, because the recreation manager Gerry Hogan was not only a friend of mine (though I did not know she was working there) but had attended an Alpha run several years before by two other of our leaders, Pat and Bob Horsey. This made arranging the course much easier. The Lord really does look after the admin. The fourth leader was my wife Laurie-Ann.

Kilian Residence was opened in 1998 and houses 53 residents, 50% of whom suffer from some form of dementia (mainly Alzheimer’s). Average age is 80+. There are 30 staff, and although we had conceived this as being for both staff and residents, no staff joined us.

There are two dinner servings at Kilian: 5 pm and 6 pm. Our four Alpha leaders joined the 6PM meal and then ran the Alpha at 7. The retirement home was very generous and provided the meals for the Alpha leaders free of charge. No cash transactions were made at any time.

The first issue to be handled was that with Alzheimer’s so prevalent, the only way to catch our course members was to eat with them, make an announcement during the meal, and start playing the music in the lounge next to the dining room as the residents left, to entice them in to see what was going on. In the early weeks, even these had little idea that this was what had been announced at dinner. We also made an announcement at the early meal on the first two weeks, but no-one from that sitting ever remembered to come down at 7.

Eating with them at the regular dinner meant that each week the four leaders were able to sit with residents, and build relationships. These connections were only coincidentally with attendees on the course to follow. It was as if we were communing in two separate environments, and reaching people this way who would not take the significant step of coming to a course to learn something they firmly believed they must know all about by this stage of life.

It took four or five weeks to turn semi-hostility into a welcome.

We also decided that we would welcome anyone to any session, regardless of whether they had come previously. 17 residents attended at least once, two attending 10 times, and two more 6 or 7 times.

It took four or five weeks to turn semi-hostility (What do you come here for?) into a welcome (I hope you’ll come again). At the start, one resident asked if we were a new religion, and another accused us of soliciting business clients. None could fathom till some way into the course that we were there for love.

Our music on piano and (electric) guitar was primarily traditional hymns, and by the end they were singing along lustily. We gave out printed sheets with words each week, and they hung onto them tightly till the end of the evening.

We had been warned that at this age people would not sit through 40 minute videos. We used the revision 2 Alpha videos and every one was watched attentively. After the videos we had a brief discussion and opportunity for questions. The questions tended to be more like What is this organization you are from? than about the material. This age group never questioned the Bible in their youth and they weren’t about to start now.

We knew that to organize a "weekend" would be a non-starter. (A local neighbour invited the residents to her home for tea and only one remembered to go). Reading notices and remembering announcements were not strong point. So we ran the first Holy Spirit video on a regular night and skipped the other two.

They were clearly moved and thankful that anyone cared.

We introduced prayer about half way through and it was clearly beneficial to them. This really came home at the healing session. The numbers swelled to five that night after not just one but two announcements during supper, and these souls may never have been prayed for individually before as we do in an Alpha healing night. They were clearly moved and thankful that anyone cared.

Looking back, my memory is of apprehension before the start of each evening, and deep satisfaction in the work of the Holy Spirit at the end of each evening; at least as much as on a regular course. All four leaders benefitted from the experience, and we all pray that our new friends in their advanced years will be comforted by the experience as time passes, even if only subconsciously.