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SPIRITUALITY IN HEALTHCARE... SPIRITUALITY IN HEALTHCARE...

Spiritual Care Is Healthcare, Too

Most healthcare profes- something on the other tate discussions, and always ensure the Grief is an intensely personal experi-
sionals receive little to no side?” patient knows they are being heard. ence and rarely abides by ideals pertain-
training on spiritual care, • “Will my loved ones be Sometimes, that means sharing periods ing to its “appropriate” duration or form
and patients may see their OK without me?” of silence with patients as they work out of expression. Hospice professionals see
own faith concerns as irrel- • “Can I be forgiven for their thoughts or feelings. For others, it grief as a natural and healthy response to
evant to their clinical my deeds? Is there time to might involve a poem, prayer, or a simple loss; the support we offer the bereaved
health. In hospice, howev- reconcile my personal con- reflection on good times. When a patient aims to help them process it before it
er, spiritual care is a key flicts?” requests a faith-specific ritual or reading develops into “complicated grief,” a
part of our patient-centric • “Have I been from their preferred holy text, chaplains more consuming and behaviorally arrest-
care model. faithful/religious enough?” can arrange for that—but a chaplain ing form of bereavement.
At VITAS Healthcare, an • “Has my life had mean- never imposes his or her own beliefs or At VITAS, we offer grief and bereave-
interdisciplinary approach ing and worth?” ideology on a patient. ment support to patients’ loved ones for
to care addresses patients’ BY ROBIN FIORELLI, These questions are To provide effective spiritual care, one at least 13 months after a death. This
clinical, psychosocial, and LCSW undoubtedly daunting and must think like a counselor, not a cleric. may involve one-on-one phone, video, or
spiritual needs, offering an not necessarily unique to While chaplains are trained in specific in-person visits, support groups, memo-
improved experience for patient and terminal patients: Seriously ill individu- pastoral care approaches, any patient- rial events, and referral to any needed
family. als with less definite prognoses may face facing professional can listen attentively community resources, all provided by
variants of these concerns. Providing and empathically without judgement, trained bereavement specialists.
Recognizing spiritual pain good spiritual care does not mean giving when a patient brings forth issues related Because the holiday season can exacer-
Just as the physiological symptoms answers; mostly, it means listening, to faith or spirituality. bate a grief response as the mourner
associated with advanced illness vary learning, and being present. attempts to cope without their loved one,
according to specific pathology, the spir- Spirituality in bereavement sup- VITAS is offering a free holiday bereave-
itual pain of dying will manifest differ- Helping patients find their truth port ment memorial event via Zoom on
ently depending on a patient’s personal Every VITAS hospice team features a In hospice, the need for spiritual care December 12. Register at
beliefs, life experiences, and their own chaplain trained in pastoral care to help extends beyond the patient’s death. VITAS.com/Events.
ability to grapple with questions that patients and their loved ones address Bereavement support often features a VITAS also offers ongoing remote sup-
may not have knowable answers. spiritual issues at the end of life. Hospice spiritual component, helping survivors port groups. If you or your patients could
Unlike physical pain, which can be chaplains’ faith need not necessarily grapple with many of the same questions benefit from some extra support this hol-
mapped to a nervous response, spiritual match that of their patients; spiritual care their loved one once held, but from a dif- iday season—or any time of the year—
pain manifests in the mind and soul, typ- does not require encyclopedic knowl- ferent perspective. learn more and sign up at
ically in the form of an unwelcome and edge of a particular theology. • Why did my loved one get sick and VITAS.com/SupportGroups.
persistent thought or fear. Across all Instead, chaplains help patients find die?
faiths and even among individuals who comfort in their own spiritual truth. • Are they at peace? Robin Fiorelli is a licensed clinical social
eschew spirituality, certain concerns are They sit with patients and their families, • Did I do enough to prevent their ill- worker and senior director of bereavement
common to the end-of-life experience: listen to their fears and understand their ness or death? and volunteer services at VITAS®
• “Why am I dying?” needs, and encourage them to express • I have regrets about what did or did Healthcare, the nation’s leading provider of
• “What will death be like? Is there themselves. They invite questions, facili- not happen in our relationship. end-of-life care.

Chaplaincy Adapts to COVID-19

Broward Health Medical Center’s our pediatric families we are offering a even realized they needed. It served as
Chaplaincy Services includes a full new service called “A Cup of a reminder for us to serve with com-
time Chaplain and a support from a Comfort” to offer a space and time for passion and kindness.
community of different faith denomi- conversations and coffee. Bereavement support provided for
nations from the Fort Lauderdale The unspoken hero in times of families in times of COVID-19 was
area. We are so blessed to have com- COVID-19 are our caregivers. For especially important during a time
munity support and have leaned on Spiritual Care Week, which occurred when loved ones are unable to be
them to assist with Anointing of the at the end of October, we created the present with our patients. We have
Sick, Baptism and Communion for Wheels of Hope Cart for our employ- noticed that there can be a delay in
our patients. We are also able to offer ees. On this cart we had an assortment the grief process because families and
an Orthodox Mass in our hospital of inspirational and spiritual items, friends are not able to see their loved
chapel on Sunday mornings. including inspirational stones, angels, ones in person, making the reality of
During COVID-19, it has been BY TRICIA YOUNG butterflies, “shine your lights,” moti- the death harder to comprehend. We
wonderful to see our community part- vational cards and hugs and kisses are here to walk with them during this
ners and our staff rally around one chocolates, from which the staff could most difficult time by making our-
another to provide spiritual support spiritual comfort and sometimes choose. selves available.
wherever and whenever it is needed. prayer. Patients’ families sometimes The work here at Broward Health Overall, we continue to push for-
We have worked together as a village don’t feel comfortable coming into the Medical Center and Salah Foundation ward with hope as we provide spiritu-
to meet the needs of our patients dur- hospital or they live far away, so we Children’s Hospital is from the heart. al care full of love and comfort for all
ing these unprecedented times. The provide spiritual support by phone Our hands help us care for those we who are a part of Broward Health
spiritual support that is offered is not and coordinate connecting them with serve, so we also offered a ritual, Medical Center and the Salah
only for our patients, but also for their their loved one via Facetime. Blessing of the Hands, for both our Foundation Children’s Hospital.
families. For the families who can come to day and night staff. Caregivers such as
Understandably, we have noticed an the hospital, we have noticed an RNs, physicians, PCAs, techs, EVS
increase in loneliness and fear in our increase in the use of our chapel, and members of administration were Tricia Young is chaplain, bereavement
patients. Spiritual support for these which offers a safe and quiet space to so happy to receive this blessing. specialist, at Broward Health
patients often looks like reflective lis- be still, allowing for times of reflec- Many commented that the blessing Medical Center.
tening, presence, non-judgmental tion and the presence of peace. For provided a support that they hadn’t

26 December 2020 southfloridahospitalnews.com South Florida Hospital News