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Faith in Older People

Enabling a better understanding of the importance of the spiritual dimension to the well-being of older people

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  • Why Spiritual Care?
  • About FiOP
    • History
    • Staff and Trustees
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  • Current Projects
    • Dementia care and faith communities
    • Spiritual care education
    • Other work
  • Listening and Caring in Confidence
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History

Rev Malcolm Goldsmith

Rev Malcolm Goldsmith

Faith in Older People became a registered charity in 2007 following preliminary work undertaken by our founder, Rev Malcolm Goldsmith.  He recognised that many older people were becoming more isolated from the activities in which they had been involved and the friendships they had formed.  In his own congregation, he had put in place someone to support the needs of these older people and believed that it was important to share the learning and potential with others.

Drawing on his considerable skills of persuasion and determination Malcolm drew together a small group to form Faith in Older People. He recognised and appreciated the gifts and experience of old age, but also understood the losses that occur. He acknowledged how easy it is for congregations to lose sight of older members when they are no longer able to participate. Importantly FiOP’s work should encompass those of faith and those without a faith.

His vision, patience and inspiration established the organisation. It  is continuing to grow in influence by providing innovative methods of encouraging and supporting people to value the importance of spiritual lives of older people in their care in a practical way with faith communities and into the wider sphere of health and social care.

Our small team is committed to the work to make sure that his vision becomes a reality. For many older people the end of their lives is spent in a ‘strange land’ whether because of dementia or the need for care away from familiar surroundings.

The challenge to FiOP is to help people discover how to live their lives with creativity and hope.  (In a Strange Land; Malcolm Goldsmith 2004)

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  • History
  • Staff and Trustees
  • Partners
  • Governance/Annual Report & Accounts

The challenge for older people is to make sense of life at a stage when loss and change occur more frequently and perhaps more painfully.

Malcolm Goldsmith, founder of Faith in Older People

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Current Projects

There is a growing awareness among both families and professionals that spiritual care is an essential component of holistic, person-centre care. FiOP has developed a range of projects to address today’s challenges:

  • Dementia care and faith communities
  • Spiritual care education
  • Other work

Upcoming Events

  1. Mental Health, Older People and Faith Communities

    16th March - 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm
  2. The Malcolm Goldsmith Lecture 2021

    11th May - 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm
  3. We Need to Talk About Death and Dying

    20th May - 10:00 am - 3:00 pm

View All Events

Latest news and blog

  • Faith Communities and Mental Health

    16th February 2021
    The mental wellbeing of our society is critically important if …Read articleon Faith Communities and Mental Health
  • Learning more deeply to recognise and serve the community, Part 1

    1st February 2021
    Last year, when we thought we had seen the peak …Read articleon Learning more deeply to recognise and serve the community, Part 1
  • ‘I’m not ageist!  I love the old dears…’

    18th January 2021
    The events of 2020 were “unprecedented”, extraordinary, challenging, and sadly, …Read articleon ‘I’m not ageist!  I love the old dears…’
Read all articles

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© 2017 Faith in Older People is a registered company SC 322915. Limited by guarantee with charitable status. Registered Charity No. SC038225. Registered Address: 21a Grosvenor Crescent, Edinburgh EH12 5EL

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