Ways to Think about Personal Care

With constant care, His tender love all human need supplies.
(Christian Science Hymnal, No. 327)

An Approach to Personal Care

Cherishing one’s innate beauty and purity provides a solid spiritual foundation for what is sometimes called “personal care” — bathing, grooming, toileting, and dressing.

In the Christian Science textbook, Mary Baker Eddy wrote, “We need a clean body and a clean mind, — a body rendered pure by Mind as well as washed by water. One says: ‘I take good care of my body.’ To do this, the pure and exalting influence of the divine Mind on the body is requisite, and the Christian Scientist takes the best care of his body when he leaves it most out of his thought, and, like the Apostle Paul, is ‘willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.’”

Praying from that spiritual basis, we can be divinely led to take practical steps that meet our specific needs. And when temporary assistance is needed in the area of personal care, there are a number of avenues for support — whether you learn to approach tasks differently, or get help from someone else.

Sometimes, very small modifications can help a lot. For instance, assistance might be as simple as long-handled back-scrubbers and sponges to reach between toes; installing a chair/bench that fits in the shower along with a hand-held shower head; or installing a raised toilet seat with sturdy arms. Family or friends may be able to assist with obtaining those items — or even help with some physical care, like trimming toenails. Sometimes, you just have to be willing to ask.

Call a Christian Science Nurse for Insights

Many Christian Scientists don’t realize that they can call a Christian Science nurse and receive ideas and instructions over the phone. In addition to a demonstrable knowledge of Christian Science practice, Christian Science nurses have practical wisdom and experience and can recommend supplies, equipment, and other solutions that will provide support when needed. They can even give a family member or close friend some appropriate tips on how to support someone.

How do you contact a Christian Science nurse for such practical ideas? There are several ways:

• Call a Christian Science nurse in your area by looking in the directory at the back of The Christian Science Journal or online.
• Call a local Christian Science nursing facility or visiting Christian Science nursing service and explain that you’d like to speak with a Christian Science nurse.
• Call the Caring for Christian Scientists call center at 800-930-3797. If you reach this free service outside of normal call hours, leave a message and a Christian Science nurse will phone you back, usually within a day.

If more assistance is needed, private-duty and visiting Christian Science nurses can provide care in the home, and most Christian Science nursing facilities offer services on an outpatient basis, as well. Where assistance from a Christian Science nurse isn’t available, a Google search for “care givers near me” or “home aides” may list a number of organizations that provide non-medical assistance in the home. See a listing of well-known providers in the resource In-Home Care Providers.

Whether you need to make some changes in how you do things for yourself or to ask someone to assist you, these practical steps can be of support while you work toward greater freedom and independence.