Hospice Emotional & Spiritual Care In Los Banos, California
Assisting dying patients with their spiritual needs has been a part of the medical profession’s role since its earliest manifestations. Healthcare was traditionally associated with caring for both the physical and spiritual needs of patients in Western Europe and the United States. However, this began to change in the latter part of the twentieth century, as medicine became more closely associated with the biomedical model of healthcare.
Patients who are nearing the end of their lives value spirituality, even if they are not religious or spiritual in any way and patients are asking for spiritual care from healthcare professionals as well. Patient satisfaction and costs have been linked to inadequate spiritual care for dying patients, whereas inadequate spiritual care has been linked to patient dissatisfaction and higher costs, according to recent research.
For those who are nearing the end of their lives, the following are important considerations:
- Sharing their personal experiences and thoughts.
- Determine what makes their lives worthwhile.
- Inquiring about their personal legacy.
- Involvement in religious activities and traditions.
- Forgiving ourselves and others.
- Being in the presence of loved ones
- Finding out who you are and why you’re here.
Leading healthcare professionals have responded to the challenge of meeting the spiritual needs of dying patients by developing innovative practices and codes of conduct that expressly recognize the spiritual dimension as an important component of good holistic care. Nowhere has the call for change become more tangible than in the modern hospice movement, where providing spiritual care for the dying is regarded as an absolute necessity.
How To Identify Your Own Spiritual Needs And Wants?
In human nature, it is ingrained in us to seek connection with something greater than ourselves. Many people in the United States believe that spirituality is important in their daily lives. However, because spiritual needs are so individual, it can be difficult to define them.
“Spirituality,” according to studies, is “a dynamic dimension of human life that relates to the ways in which people experience meaning, purpose and/or transcendence, as well as the ways in which they connect to the present moment, to oneself, to others, to nature, to the significant and/or to the sacred,” according to studies. Using this definition of spiritual needs, we can recognize the important fact that spirituality encompasses more than just religious beliefs and experiences. It is the part of the human being that attempts to answer questions such as “Who am I?” and “What do I want to be?” “What am I doing here?” “How have I conducted myself throughout my life?” “Is there a difference between now and then?”
Here are a few examples of questions patients frequently ask healthcare providers when they have a spiritual need:
- What will happen to me after I pass away?
- What is happening to me that this is happening?
- What gives my life meaning and purpose is the question?
- Is there a God, and will He be there for me if there is?
- How am I supposed to live now that I know I’m going to die?
- What do you want people to remember about me?
Spirituality And End Of Life Care
At the end of life, it is especially important to attend to the spiritual needs of dying patients and to alleviate their spiritual suffering. We believe it is critical for all clinicians to have a fundamental understanding of how to treat spiritual pain. Physical symptoms associated with the dying process can often be managed by experienced healthcare professionals but spiritual pain presents a different set of challenges. Even the rare healthcare professional who is able to assess and understand spiritual pain is frequently at a loss for what to do to assist the patient.
Providing Spiritual Support For The Dying
So, what exactly is spiritual care for the dying and dying-related issues? It can be facilitated in a variety of ways, from assisting patients in discovering their own personal meaning, peace and connection to facilitating religious practices and customs. Starting with being present for patients and developing a personal connection is the foundation of successful patient care. It is possible to facilitate spiritual healing when the provider understands what is important to the patient – their religious beliefs, values and principles, as well as what gives them meaning and purpose in their lives.
These are three approaches you can use to assist your patients in their search for spiritual guidance
Inquire your patients about their religious beliefs or about their lack of belief in religion. Contribute to their ability to establish relationships with other members of their religious community or congregation and with the religious community’s leader or leaders. In order to avoid being a burden on others, patients and their families may experience reluctance to reach out from time to time. As a result, they may require additional encouragement in order to comply.
First and foremost, find out as much as you can about your patient’s and/or their family’s religious and recreational interests before beginning treatment. Then, in bookstores or on the internet, look for patient-oriented books on death and dying that can be recommended to patients in the proper manner.
To establish a connection with the Melodia Care team’s Spiritual Care Coordinator, speak with one of the team’s Melodia Care members.
What is the role of a Spiritual Care Counselor, and what do they do?
At Melodia Care Hospice, licensed professional spiritual care counsellors (LPSCCs) have completed at least one year of hospital residency and have been ordained by and are accountable to an established ordaining body, among other qualifications.
Throughout their educational careers, professionals have studied a diverse range of religions, civilizations and spiritual practices, among other things. During the final stages of life, Professionals are trained to provide a ministry of presence to the patient and their family, regardless of where they are on their spiritual path at the time. Everyone who seeks assistance can benefit from the Professionals’ active listening and reflective presence, as well as their emotional, experiential and spiritual therapy services. A religious ceremony or prayer that is appropriate for the situation may be offered as an answer in some cases. It is possible that the answer will be spiritual affirmation rather than religious affirmation on occasion. It is possible that it is neither spiritual nor religious in nature in some instances.
An initial conversation with someone about their thoughts can be intimidating but it is necessary. Take a few simple steps to make yourself and your partner feel more comfortable in your relationship with one another. Music, a massage, looking at photographs or anything else that makes the individual feel comfortable and allows them to open up about their feelings can all help them feel more comfortable and open up.
The expression of all emotions, including fury and denial, is permissible and can be beneficial to the individual at various stages of their illness. I hope our information on mental and spiritual anguish will be of assistance to you when discussing this subject with your loved one.
Before you can successfully connect with someone, you must spend time getting to know them and understanding their background. You must also learn about their experiences and unique circumstances. Working shifts or not seeing the same patients on a regular basis can make it more difficult to achieve this goal successfully. A hug or holding someone’s hand can help them feel comfortable and supported if the situation is appropriate and they consent to be hugged or held hand.
Make it easier for them to express their worries and anxieties by encouraging them to speak about them in front of others.
Even though it may be beneficial to maintain an optimistic outlook, it is critical not to minimize the difficulties that the individual is experiencing. Another option is to ask how the individual would prefer to be emotionally supported – some people prefer an “upbeat” approach, while others would prefer you to simply listen to them.
The majority of people who are dying have feelings of depression and worry about the people who will be left behind after they pass away. Contribute to the creation of a memory box to provide them with peace of mind knowing that they will continue to be a part of their loved ones’ lives even after they have passed away. Letters and gifts for family and friends can be stored in a memory box, along with personal belongings such as photographs and other mementos. A professional can also prepare a film or audio recording for digital storage on a memory stick or the internet, if the material is suitable.
People may be concerned that, as their disease progresses, they will lose their ability to control their actions and become helpless. Assistance in communicating preferences for medical care ahead of time can help someone feel more in control of their health care decisions. The health care professionals and those who are close to the person will benefit from having a better understanding of their priorities as a result of these findings. We believe it would be beneficial for you to provide our patients with information on care planning in advance of their scheduled appointments with you.
A fundamental tenet of hospice care is to attend to the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of patients who are nearing the end of their lives, regardless of their age. In order for patients to make the most of each day that they have left to spend with their families, Melodia Care provides spiritual, physical and emotional support to them.
In the event that you know of someone who would benefit from hospice care or if you would like to learn more about Melodia Care’s hospice care program, you can reach out to the company at 1-888 635-6347 (MELODI-7).
Melodia's spiritual caretakers are a special group of folks
It is the responsibility of our Spiritual Care Coordinators, as well as the rest of our interdisciplinary care team, to provide specialized spiritual care to our patients and their families. Melodia’s care team is on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week to provide patients and bereaved families with counselling that is appropriate for people of all faiths—or no faith at all—and is available around the clock.