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The COVID-19 pandemic has forced families to find creative ways to keep connected. Be- tween Zoom hangouts and drive-by birthday parties, we've found ways to show the love we feel for our family members who aren't in our homes. The connection challenge gets more complicated when we have a family member in a care facility. With shifting visita- tion rules and varying levels of technology in facilities, it can be difficult to keep connected with those we love. As Christians, we know how important it is to gather as a faith community and to nurture faith in our homes. Here are seven ways that you can strengthen your family faith connec- tion with those who are in an assisted-living or long-term care facility. Write it on your calendar. We all have the best intentions to give a family member a call. We think about it, but often we forget to follow through. Putting your connection time on your home calendar elevates this from a nice idea to a top priori- ty. You may want to get together with your siblings or other family members and make a schedule to check on your loved one. How often you call is up to you, and availability will be different for each family. With that said, the general rule would be the more communica- tion, the better. With care facilities having fewer social gatherings and visitations, residents need more calls and connections. Don't know what to say? Write it down. Come up with a list of "What was like when you were a child?" questions. School-age children are great at coming up with these questions, and they're also great at asking them. Grandparents have a wealth of knowledge and experience. The sto- ries that children will hear from older family members are priceless gems. More senior family members can also point our younger children to the bigger picture of God's work in their lives and show us that we will be on the other side of our current struggles, even if we don't know when. ADVERTISEMENT 7 WAYS TO Keep the Cnei 1. 2. 22 Lutheran Life

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