SPIRITUAL CARE At the End of Life What

SPIRITUAL CARE At the End of Life

What is a Chaplain? Trust Chaplains Employed by NHS Pastoral care specialists from variety of faith & belief groups; To provide spiritual, pastoral & religious support to patients, relatives and staff. The care is provided to those of all faiths and of none

Spiritual Care at End of Life “palliative care aims to make you as comfortable as possible by controlling pain and other distressing symptoms, while providing psychological, social and spiritual support for you and your family or carers. ” NHS Choices 2014

Palliative Care & Last Days � Spiritual needs are part of the Care Plan � For family as much as for the patient � Enable important & difficult conversations � Need to explore faith and belief � Spiritual distress – anxiety or fear � Arrange faith practices/visits � Arrange ‘last rites’ Page 7

To feel my life is complete To be at peace with my ‘God’ To have sorted my funeral Waghorn et al 2011 What can we do to support a good death?

A Good Death- what do people want? 3 priorities have a ‘spiritual or religious element ‘To feel my life is complete’ ‘To be at peace with my God’ ‘To have sorted out my funeral’

A Good Death- what do people want? ‘To feel my life is complete’ • Time to reflect on their life • Time to affirm relationships • Time for reconciliation • Time to say goodbye

A Good Death- what do people want? ‘To be at peace with my God’ • Time to engage with their faith and to pray • Time for confession and reconciliation • Time to explore doubts and fears about faith and death and what comes afterwards • Time to arrange religious death rites and rituals

A Good Death- what do people want? ‘To have sorted out my funeral’ • Type of service and who they want to lead it • Readings, prayers, music, hymns/songs etc • Arrangements for expenses • Liaison with important family members

Spiritual Care at End of Life Important things to consider • Don’t leave spiritual care assessment too late • Persistent agitation, pain, sleeplessness, or emotional distress may be a sign of unmet spiritual needs

Spiritual Care at End of Life Don’t forget • Family and friends may also need spiritual or religious support • The Chaplains are your spiritual and religious specialists • Chaplains are here to care for your spirits too – religious or not

Chaplaincy and Spiritual Care Think about Chaplaincy when: • a patient declares a religion and wants to practice it in the hospital • a patient or family asks about planning religious ritual or ‘last rites’. • a patient or family wants to talk about faith or belief in their last days • persistent restlessness is not resolved by medication –it might be a spiritual need • You feel you’re getting out of you depth caring for their spirit

Chaplaincy and Spiritual Care How to contact a chaplain: • We are on site office hours Mon to Fri; and Sunday mornings • On call 24/7 for urgent visits or telephone advice • Out of Hours page the on call chaplain via switchboard • inform switch if a Roman Catholic priest requires • Out of hours we aim to be at bedside within 1 hour of contact. • Bereavement booklets are held in Faith Centre foyer at A 209 • Faith Centre is open for friends and family 24/7

Chaplaincy and Spiritual Care Stories and Questions