Cathedral members care for suffering

By ANN HAUPRICH- | Comments: 0 | Leave a comment

Bringing the old-fashioned gift of neighborliness into homes where a family member has AIDS is the focus of a non-medical care team forming at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany.

"Our primary goal is to provide practical, compassionate care to a nearby household living with AIDS," explained David McGill, who is striving to pull together a team of at least seven dedicated members. Mr. McGill, a Eucharistic minister, emphasized that the team will be heavily supported in its outreach ministry by The Eddy's Visiting Nurses Association (VNA).

Other AIDS teams already exist at St. Thomas in Delmar, Sacred Heart in Castleton, St. Vincent de Paul in Albany, and Corpus Christi in Clifton Park. There are also two teams at RPI's Christ Sun of Justice parish in Troy. (Another 15 teams initiated by members of the Jewish and Protestant faiths operate in the area with the support of The Eddy's VNA.)

Teamwork

Program Manager Michael Losinger said the AIDS Care Teams are based on a well-tested model called RAIN, short for Regional AIDS Interface Network.

Prior to approaching The Eddy with a proposal to support a similar program in the Capital Region in 1995, Mr. Losinger first visited teams operating in Dallas, Little Rock and New Orleans.

"I was very impressed by the fact that the program was congregation-based, yet had an interfaith component," he said. "For example, some Roman Catholics joined teams started by other churches -- or the other way around."

Growing ministry

In the space of less than two years, Mr. Losinger has helped to start 22 teams, consisting of 250 volunteers. AIDS patients in the area have ranged in age from just seven to 70.

"Of the 22 teams in operation, over half have involved children who were either infected by -- or affected by -- the disease," said Mr. Losinger. "Either the child had AIDS, or one or both of the child's parents or guardians were living with AIDS. There are clearly a lot of grief issues going on in these households, but neighbors are often oblivious to the suffering that's going on across the street or right next-door."

Other times, Mr. Losinger noted, neighbors are keenly aware that members of a nearby household have been infected by the AIDS virus, but their ignorance about the disease causes them to shy away.

Misconceptions

"We still hear the horror stories about people who won't let their kids play with a child in the neighborhood who has AIDS," said Mr. Losinger. They're afraid their kids will "catch" the disease just by playing tag or even watching TV together.

Such insensitivity only intensifies the suffering of those living in households affected by the disease, he said.

"There are still a lot of misconceptions out there about transmission issues. Educating people about how you can -- and cannot -- get the disease is still one of our greatest challenges," he noted.

Catholic action

Mr. Losinger said one of the best things about the AIDS Care Teams he has helped to establish in the Albany Diocese is that they serve as both pastoral and social justice ministries. That dual function is, he believes, one of the reasons the teams have won the support of Bishop Howard Hubbard and Catholic Charities.

"Our focus is not on the number of good deeds each team does, but rather on the quality of the relationship they build with their care partner," said Mr. Losinger. "Above all, we want each team member to be the kind of neighbor they would want to have if they or someone in their own household was affected by AIDS.

"We want team members who will be caring and non-judgmental, who will lend an ear and help out in practical ways. Providing love and acceptance is the most important thing any team member can do."

Helping out

Examples of the kinds of neighborly acts team members may provide range from transporting the "care partner" to and from medical appointments to providing respite care, such as babysitting so the adult (or adults) can enjoy a social or recreational outing.

"The strength of the team model is that no one volunteer must ever feel alone. The team is there to provide support for its members as well as for the care partner," said Mr. Losinger.

Team members receive several hours of training prior to beginning their ministry. Information sessions include not only the fundamentals of AIDS but also lessons involving cultural differences and grief issues.

"Giving an 'AIDS 101' lecture about the disease and transmission issues isn't enough," said Mr. Losinger. "Many of our volunteers are white suburbanites, and they know absolutely nothing about the Hispanic culture or conditions of poverty. For this reason, we bring in social workers to discuss how the household they'll be helping may differ from their own. We also have a panel comprised of people living with AIDS who talk about the realities of living with the disease."

Dying and grief

A huge chunk of that reality which many would prefer to sweep under the carpet involves grief.

"The harsh reality is that the AIDS partner the care team is helping is eventually going to die," he explained. "Sometimes, that means the death of a old person, sometimes a young adult, sometimes a child. This is definitely a ministry that involves grief, and it's a component that we take very seriously both during training sessions and throughout the team-building process."

In addition, Mr. Losinger said spirituality topics are addressed by Rev. John Lysogorski, chaplain at Albany Medical Center, and Rev. Bernard Turner, pastor of St. Monica's Church in Johnsonville, who represents the Diocesan HIV/AIDS Network.

(Training for the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception AIDS Care Team will take place on May 18, 1-6 p.m., and May 19, 6:30-9 p.m. at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Albany. For more information, call David McGill at 434-3626. Those from other parishes who are interested in learning more about starting an AIDS Care Team can contact Michael Losinger at 270-1355.)

(03-20-97) [[In-content Ad]]