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Spirituality
in Caregiving
(Advance July 06,2003)
When people face crises that challenge their will to live, spiritual
support and guidance can be essential to their well-being. Religious
leaders have a special role to play, but they are not the only people who
can respond to seniors’ spiritual needs. Any sensitive person can assist
another in finding a meaning in life to weather the storm. However,
knowing how and when to respond appropriately may be difficult.
Paul Wong describes four ways of enhancing meaning in seniors’ lives:
1) Reminiscence - Through guided discussion, taking a review of one’s
life to resolve past conflicts, affirm accomplishments and skills, and
transmit the lessons learned from experience;
2) Commitment - Providing opportunities to seniors to invest their time
and energy to a task or to other persons;
3) Optimism - Offering future events to look forward to and nurturing
the hope that something positive will happen. "It is by looking into the
future that we have the best chance of surviving present difficulties."
4) Religiosity - supporting religious beliefs and meaningful practices.
"When everything is lost, including one’s health, writes Wong, "the
spiritual capability to reach out remains an effective weapon to combat
meaninglessness and despair."
Health and social service professionals working with older adults may
find it necessary to enter into a religious senior’s perspective to
support healthy coping behaviours. Consultation with a religious leader of
the senior’s own faith may be useful in this regard. Many physicians
consider that they have some responsibility for dealing with religious
issues if requested by their patients.
Spiritual distress, as a loss of meaning in life, is recognized as a
nursing diagnosis, requiring nursing care no less than physical, social or
psychological distress. Nurse Elizabeth Peterson advises that providing
spiritual nursing care for older persons involves first a willingness to
be present and to share in the struggles and changes in their lives. This
presence assures patients of their dignity and worth. The simplest actions
can have a spiritual significance if they help to strengthen the sense
that life is worthwhile: for example, a gentle back rub to a patient with
advanced dementia.
Caregivers and health care providers should assist seniors in
continuing meaningful religious practices to the extent possible. For
seniors without a strong religious affiliation, music, art, nature and the
confirmation that one is cared for and valued can nourish the sense of
meaning. (Adapted from Expression: Newsletter of the National Advisory
council on Aging)
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