Diocese of Fulda and Caritas adapt elderly care pastoral models

The Diocese of Fulda and the Diocesan Caritas Association are moving toward more flexible, social-space-oriented structures to address changes in elderly care. This shift was a central theme at the annual networking meeting of the AltenPflegePastoral (APP) held in Frankfurt.

Organized by the Association of Catholic Elderly Care in Germany (VKAD) and supported by the German Bishops' Conference (DBK), the conference addressed the challenges of modernizing pastoral care. Key drivers for this transition include the increasing trend toward outpatient and ambulatory care, which requires aligning professional nursing systems with church pastoral services.

Participants also reviewed the impact of the DBK paper ‘Mitsorgend bei den Menschen sein’ (Caring for People) eighteen months after its release. The goal of the meeting was to connect actors from dioceses, Caritas associations, and nursing facilities nationwide to navigate these evolving social realities.