Christian Science Nursing Home
A Christian Science nursing home is a place where people who rely solely on prayer for healing can stay for a time of rest and study. The facility is staffed with skilled Christian Science nurses who are available to support each individual’s healing progress, and who help them to understand the spiritual teachings of Christian Science, as set forth by Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of this method of healing.
These skilled nurses are on duty 24 hours a day, and they respond to every care need for children, teens and adults—both inpatient and outpatient—with tender, loving Christian Science nursing care. The nurse’s role is to provide a spiritual atmosphere of thought that supports healing by encouraging each person to pray, to work with a Christian Science practitioner, and to deepen their study of the Bible and the writings of Mary Baker Eddy. The nurses are also able to assist with follow-up care at home and can connect patients with local Christian Science Visiting Nurses, listed in The Christian Science Journal.
For people who cannot stay at the Christian Science nursing home but need assistance at home, The Chestnut Hill Benevolent Association offers a Visiting Christian Science Nursing Service (VCSNS) that provides non-medical nursing care. This ministry, modeled on the Christian Science nursing facility at Charton Manor in London, England, ministers promptly and tenderly to individuals wherever they are. A Christian Science nurse is a member of The Mother Church with a demonstrable knowledge of Christian Science practice who fully understands the practical wisdom necessary in a sick room and who can take care of the spiritual needs of the individual. These requirements are described on the “Christian Science Nurse Scope of Services” page.
Inpatient Christian Science nursing care at Wide Horizon in Denver, Colorado, is available for those who want to spend time in a quiet and peaceful environment of prayer and study, with an expectation of healing. This facility has 25 private rooms for those who rely exclusively on prayer for healing and three rooms of Supervised Residential Living. It is a beautiful and secluded home-like setting surrounded by forests and mountains that gives you the opportunity to renew your relationship with God, to deepen your understanding of Jesus Christ’s love and healing power, and to receive encouragement from fellow Christian Scientists whose lives have been healed through trust in God.
As you consider the possibility of needing Christian Science nursing home care, it is a good idea to make an Advance Health Care Directive. This legal document includes a statement of your desire to receive only Christian Science care, and allows you to name a trusted family member or friend to speak for you in the event that you are unable to communicate your wishes. For more information, see the article on this topic in The Christian Science Journal.