Spiritual Support for Skilled Nursing, Hospice
FORT MYERS, FL – Sue Stranahan has joined Shell Point Retirement Community as Chaplain for The Pavilion Skilled Nursing Facility, as of August 1, 2002. A registered nurse, educator and former missionary to the Congo (now Zaire) with The Christian and Missionary Alliance, Stranahan is more than uniquely qualified to serve the Pavilion residents. She believes that spiritual health is strongly related to physical health and will function as a member of the healthcare team to address the spiritual aspect of the residents’ well being. In her role as Pavilion Chaplain, Stranahan will visit new and existing Pavilion residents, provide counsel to residents, family members and the healthcare team, and coordinate interfaith evangelical services for residents of The Pavilion.
While Stanahan is directly employed by The Village Church at Shell Point, she will be responsive to individuals of all faiths and will respect those who do not desire her services. “Spirituality and spiritual care extend beyond denominational boundaries to include all individuals, regardless of faith community, even those without belief in God,” she stated.
In addition to the creation of this new position at The Pavilion, a special chapel has also been added as part of the recent multi-story addition to The Pavilion. This chapel can seat 50 people and is equipped with a beautiful alter, grand piano, and other accessories that create a quiet and peaceful area for private or corporal worship.
Stranahan served a three-month internship at Shell Point in the winter of 2001, and from her time here, the need for a female spiritual caregiver became obvious to her. “One woman with whom I was ministering at The Pavilion said, ‘I hate to cry like this in front of a man.’ Another confided, ‘I don’t know how I could say these things to a man,'” she reflected. With the female population at Shell Point being a significant majority, Stranahan will have ample opportunity to minister to women’s needs as only another woman can. However, her unique gifts, personality and easy-going manner make her equally comfortable and capable in ministering to the male population.
Most recently, Stranahan served as the Nursing Department Chair and Professor at Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, Indiana.
The Pavilion is a skilled nursing facility licensed for 219 beds. Medical services provided at The Pavilion include physical therapy and rehabilitation for patients recovering from stroke, heart surgery or orthopedic surgery, as well as Alzheimer’s and dementia care, long-term care and hospice care, through an agreement with Hope Hospice of Southwest Florida.
Shell Point Retirement Community is located on McGregor Boulevard, just off Summerlin Road in Fort Myers, two miles from the Sanibel Causeway. Shell Point is a non-profit ministry of the Christian & Missionary Alliance Foundation, Inc., and has been providing seniors with independent, assisted living and skilled nursing care, in an attractive and safe environment since 1968.
