Spiritual care for the dying is one of the most vital and poignant elements of the work of a healthcare chaplain, particularly for those who serve in palliative care settings.
We asked Karen Murphy, Chaplain and Spiritual Lead, Weston Hospicecare, to share some thoughts on this… Karen says, “Spiritual Care in its broadest form allows people to say what’s on their mind. Modern chaplaincy has evolved to be a healthcare profession that embraces diversity and is broad in its outlook and support of people who hold a variety of faith and beliefs.”
We are featuring this article as part of the Dying Matters Awareness Week 2021 - being in a good place to die. Karen goes on to say that, “Many patients I support will say that they are not religious , but say prayers, believe in ‘something’ and are not without faith. It’s an interesting debate and discussion as to what ‘non-religious’ means to people. My experience is that , as a chaplain, I am welcomed in to someone’s personal space at the end of life when big questions are suddenly overwhelming. Chaplains have the resources and skills to offer spiritual are to patients in spiritual distress and we do that with care, compassion and acceptance.”
What a unique and profound opportunity those who serves as chaplains have…. and Karen goes on the say that in some way we can all be part of this vital work, by having conversations about death and dying with those we love and those we serve in our churches. Karen commends the resources of Dying Matters to us, saying:
“Dying Matters Week is an opportunity to be thankful for spiritual care teams around the country who have been part of wider teams in palliative care, supporting staff as well as patients and their families”
(photo above from the Dying Matters resource pack and cover photo courtesy of Toa Heftiba at Unsplash)
DYING MATTERS AWARENESS WEEK 2021 - BEING IN A GOOD PLACE TO DIE - FIND OUT MORE HERE
For further information about chaplaincy and spiritual care provision in palliative care, please visit the AHPCC and UKBHC websites.