Hidden Health Crisis: Healing the Loneliness in Nursing Homes with the Love of Jesus

Loneliness is rampant among nursing home residents nationwide after COVID-19 restrictions and lockdowns left a big hole in the quality of life for so many senior citizens. 

In the U.S., CDC data shows more than 200,000 long-term care residents and staff died from COVID-19. Many of them would have likely been banned from seeing family or visitors for months. Today, faith-based organizations like God Cares Ministry are responding to an overwhelming sense of loneliness left in the wake of the pandemic. 

Chaplain Bill Goodrich has been serving elderly communities for nearly 40 years. His non-profit, God Cares Ministry, seeks to find those who've been forgotten – and breathe life into them. 

"Our primary desire is to develop caring friendships with the residents and help them find hope and peace in Jesus," Goodrich says. "This is so important to realize, you cannot go into a government-funded facility to evangelize, but you can go in and develop close friendships – and help your friend take Jesus' hand so that He can help them and fulfill the spiritual needs they have." 

The hidden health crisis of isolation reared its ugly head at the height of COVID. 

"Over 80% of residents in senior care homes receive less than one visit per month, even prior to the pandemic they were overlooked and underserved," Goodrich explains. 

CDC mandates in long-term care facilities were put in place to protect the elderly but confinement took its toll. 

"And when you isolate them and their primary companion is their television, there's no life in that," says Goodrich. "So, basically their souls have fallen asleep or died and they need to be reawakened."

Unable to go inside during the pandemic, Chaplain Goodrich brought the church to them, teaching them from windowsills with big print scripture. They even have a ministry book called, God Cares for You. As these homes open up, Bill's ministry is guiding and training volunteers across the nation, readying anyone with a heart for the elderly to help fight the isolation crisis. 

"Until we rise up and provide this spiritual care that Jesus has called us to do, they go without it, and they may die without Christ because they have died alone," Goodrich says.

He understands more than a million people live in nursing homes nationwide and another million in assisted living facilities. Goodrich also believes there's a difference between providing care and genuine care. It can start by simply visiting a nursing home and sharing time with those who are alone or forgotten.