2. PROVIDING SPIRITUAL SUPPORT Hospice palliative care volunteers can provide spiritual support by: • building trust
Journaling Keeping a journal can be a good way for the dying person and/or family member to reflect on their experiences, frustrations and moments of joy – past, present and future. The volunteer can help by: • suggesting themes to help them start writing, such as life-changing events, relationships, work and leisure • offering to write for the person • asking questions that will reveal greater detail • being there to provide support.
• encouraging the person to talk about things they have done in their lives – things they feel proud of – so they can find meaning or value in their lives • listening patiently and gently to people’s stories – how it was (past), how it is (present) and how it might be (future) -- and letting them tell their stories more than once if they need to • treating the person with dignity and valuing them for who they are • respecting the person’s and family’s belief systems and responding according to their belief system (rather than the volunteer’s belief system) • sharing personal beliefs only when asked by the person or family member • never, never proselytizing or trying to convert the dying person or family member • providing whatever the person or family asks for in terms of spiritual support including contacting or not contacting their faith leader in the community • being present even when people want to go into difficult places. Being comfortable in the silence and allowing the other to explore. 3. UNDERSTANDING PEOPLE’S SPIRITUAL BELIEFS As a volunteer, you may be providing support for people from different faith communities. To
NOTE: Journal entries must always be kept confidential.
Spirituality is about building mutual human relationships, and creating reflective spaces, rather than making assessments and delivering interventions. The volunteer should: • accept the individual unconditionally • allow the person to lead the conversation and define their need for spiritual care • practice being able to sit with questions, not having the answers. understand that, as part of their spiritual journey, people may pose questions with few answers. • recognize that spirituality includes all the person’s life experiences
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