Spiritual Care HELPING FAMILY CAREGIVERS COPE & THRIVE. Suzette Brémault-Phillips, PhD, OT 2017

Transcription

1 Spiritual Care HELPING FAMILY CAREGIVERS COPE & THRIVE Suzette Brémault-Phillips, PhD, OT 2017

2 SPIRITUALITY A dynamic and intrinsic aspect of humanity through which persons seek ultimate meaning, purpose, and transcendence, and experience relationship to self, family, others, community, society, nature, and the significant or sacred. Spirituality is expressed through beliefs, values, traditions, and practices. (Puchalski et al., 2014, p. 644)

3 SPIRITUALITY The continuous journey people take to discover and realize their essential selves and higher order aspirations. (Sweeney, Hannah & Snyder, 2007; Teasdale, 1999) The search for the sacred in one s life (Pargament, 2007; Pargament & Sweeney, 2011), where sacred is understood to refer to what is most meaningful and significant (Plante, 2008), including... concepts of God, the divine, and transcendent reality, as well as other aspects of life that take on divine character and significance. (Pargament, 2007, p )

4 FAMILY CAREGIVERS Are on different spiritual PATHS, coping and thriving at various points of the caregiving journey. Along the way, they may enjoy various PLEASURES in life, discover POSSIBILITIES, strive to reach their POTENTIAL, go through various PROCESSES, engage in a range of PRACTICES, and find PURPOSE.

5 SPIRITUAL CARE Spiritual care can enable family caregivers to experience overall well-being, cope with transitions, stresses, and struggles, and thrive throughout the caregiving journey.

6 SPIRITUAL & RELIGIOUS ENGAGEMENT S/R engagement is good for physical and mental health. Those affiliated and actively engaged with an S/R tradition tend to be: A) More optimistic, happy, satisfied with their lives and their loved ones, and live seven years longer. B) Less likely to be depressed, anxious, stressed, alcoholic, physically and mentally ill or engaged in health-damaging behaviours (e.g. smoking, drug abuse, unprotected sexual activity, and violence)

7 PRACTICES OF: Consciousness Centering Contemplation Connection Choice Cooperation Commitment Creation Creativity Contribution Conscience

8 PERFORMED IN A SPIRIT OF: Trust Openness Acceptance Self-Awareness Compassion Altruism Gratitude Curiosity Honesty Justice Forgiveness Temperance Playfulness Humour

9 FOSTER A SENSE OF: Being Bonding Belonging Behaving Becoming Bettering Boundaries Balance Building Believing Beholding Beauty

10 THAT ENABLE CAREGIVERS TO BE: Self-Actualized Resilient Restored Grounded Fulfilled Connected Strengthened Focused Purposeful At ease At peace

11 EXAMPLES OF SPIRITUAL / RELIGIOUS PRACTICES: Meditation & Prayer (Individual & Communal) Take time for regular meditation, reflection, or prayer Spend time in nature or in silence Participate in spiritual or religious rituals, rites, and services Attend a spiritual or religious gathering Join a choir, study group, or spiritual growth meetings Go on a pilgrimage or retreat Be creative and appreciate beauty Adapted from: Royal Canadian Chaplain Services (2014). Achieving Spiritual Resilience.

12 EXAMPLES OF SPIRITUAL / RELIGIOUS PRACTICES: Spiritual Growth Establish a peaceful place for thinking about spiritual matters and engaging in self-reflection Write in a journal about your daily life, feelings, thoughts, struggles, hopes, and dreams Select a valued personal characteristic (patience, forgiveness or compassion) and develop it; select a behaviour or characteristic that you would like to change (anger, impatience, self-centredness) and work to overcome it Appreciate lessons learned, as well as life s joys and sorrows, loves and losses Work through spiritual struggles and existential questions or those of ultimacy Be open to the full range of emotion (i.e. moved by a song, movie, news story, or varieties of human experience) Find happiness in the everyday; be present to each moment Practice gratitude, optimism and forgiveness

13 EXAMPLES OF SPIRITUAL / RELIGIOUS PRACTICES: Cultivate Relationships Foster relationships with family, friends and a higher power Play and laugh with children; reconnect with your younger self Share a meal, enjoy time, and socialize with others Join a support group or a network of people with similar spiritual interests, questions, concerns, or struggles

14 EXAMPLES OF SPIRITUAL / RELIGIOUS PRACTICES: Engage in New Learning Read books, search the internet or listen to audio recordings about character development, ethics, morals, spirituality, religion or philosophy Take a course, or attend a seminar or workshop Join a study group

15 EXAMPLES OF SPIRITUAL / RELIGIOUS PRACTICES: Give of Your Time, Talents, and Treasure Volunteer for a nonprofit organization or charity Visit the sick, infirm, lonely, imprisoned, orphaned or homeless Leverage your skills and personal resources to aid those in need Set aside time for others in your extended family or community Mentorship Discuss your spiritual growth with your doctor, a counselor, a spiritual care professional or a religious leader Mentor a less-experienced caregiver Share your insights and knowledge with health care professionals

16 SPIRITUALLY RESILIENT PEOPLE: Resemble "a twig with a fresh, green living core. When twisted out of shape, such a twig bends, but it does not break. Instead, it springs back and continues growing." George Vaillant (2002). Aging Well, p. 285.