Hospice Foundation of America
The Hospice Foundation of America website includes detailed education on hospice care and services as well as links to other resources.
Spiritual Support
Helping you and your loved one deal with the life challenges caused by a terminal illness
Experiencing a terminal illness can bring up questions about the meaning and purpose of life. Spiritual support empowers you and your loved one to deal with the emotional and spiritual challenges caused by a life-limiting illness.
Spiritual care is not specific to any faith or religion and is available to all patients and families.
If you need spiritual support, a chaplain or seminary-trained minister can help. Chaplains are specialists in the needs of people in hospice care and those who love them. Ministers have completed additional training in clinical pastoral education.
Spiritual support services include:
Non-judgmental spiritual care
Facing a life-limiting illness can feel lonely. The chaplain will create a safe place to express spiritual needs and ask difficult questions. Remember, having questions is normal, and it’s helpful to voice feelings and frustrations related to the diagnosis and changes in life.
Support for faith- and religion-specific spiritual needs
If you have strong faith or religious beliefs, but do not have access to your specific faith based spiritual care, contact with religion-specific organizations can be made at your request. In addition, resources from the community are available when needed.
Referral to other appropriate resources
Many concerns arise during the end-of-life process that may benefit from pastoral counseling, storytelling, journaling and meditation. However, issues may arise that are more appropriately handled by other professionals. You or your loved one or family members may be referred to such resources as social workers, licensed counselors, bereavement counselors and grief care for children and other specific groups.
Spiritual care for hospice staff
Hospice work exposes staff to circumstances that may raise questions of meaning and purpose of life, or challenge their beliefs and values. Spiritual care can help them be fully present for you and your loved one in your time of need.
What to Expect
Spiritual care is not specific to any faith or religion and is available to all patients and families.
If you need spiritual support, a chaplain or seminary-trained minister can help. Chaplains are specialists in the needs of people in hospice care and those who love them. Ministers have completed additional training in clinical pastoral education.
Spiritual support services include:
Non-judgmental spiritual care
Facing a life-limiting illness can feel lonely. The chaplain will create a safe place to express spiritual needs and ask difficult questions. Remember, having questions is normal, and it’s helpful to voice feelings and frustrations related to the diagnosis and changes in life.
Support for faith- and religion-specific spiritual needs
If you have strong faith or religious beliefs, but do not have access to your specific faith based spiritual care, contact with religion-specific organizations can be made at your request. In addition, resources from the community are available when needed.
Referral to other appropriate resources
Many concerns arise during the end-of-life process that may benefit from pastoral counseling, storytelling, journaling and meditation. However, issues may arise that are more appropriately handled by other professionals. You or your loved one or family members may be referred to such resources as social workers, licensed counselors, bereavement counselors and grief care for children and other specific groups.
Spiritual care for hospice staff
Hospice work exposes staff to circumstances that may raise questions of meaning and purpose of life, or challenge their beliefs and values. Spiritual care can help them be fully present for you and your loved one in your time of need.
Resources
Hospice Foundation of America
The Hospice Foundation of America website includes detailed education on hospice care and services as well as links to other resources.