“Changing minds and transforming lives”

This is an initiative of International Union of Superiors General (UISG) and Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) supported by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. An advisory committee with experts and practitioners in the field of aged care – especially those with experience of accompanying sisters living with some type of cognitive impairment – and sisters in leadership positions are creating this initiative Cognitive Impairment Support Initiative (CISI).

As communities age and a large percentage of us will eventually develop some form of dementia, it is more important than ever to ensure that each sister is able to live her spirituality despite any impairment.

“Changing minds and transforming lives” means reframing our minds and hearts so that we develop new ways of walking with our sisters who are living with dementia, personally and communally.

The initiative aims to make a difference not only for sisters with dementia, but also for the entire community by helping to build dementia-inclusive religious institutes:

• This is critical to improving the quality of life for sisters with dementia, optimizing opportunities for participation, and remaining part of their congregation, for example, by engaging sisters with dementia in daily activities and spiritual exercises in ways that support and nourish them.
• It is also about making sure that lay care partners understand the culture of religious life generally.
• Another important aspect is to ensure that Congregational Leaders, sisters and staff have a comprehensive and updated knowledge of dementia with its subsequent principles of supportive care. Therefore, there needs to be an ongoing education program about dementia and dementia risk prevention, especially since the early stages of dementia are often overlooked because the onset is gradual.

Download the leaflet on the Cognitive Impairment Support Initiative:

• Digital version
• Ready to print version

Superiors General may find more information in the reserved area of the website