Chatham-Kent Hospice offers wholistic care for individuals and families at end of life. Our Supportive Care Program also offers anticipatory grief and grief support to individuals in the community coping at end of life or after the death of a loved one. One of the critical services offered to residents, families and the community is Spiritual Care. Though it has been a service offered at the Chatham-Kent Hospice since its opening, not everyone is aware of the significant benefits of Spiritual Care Support. Our Spiritual Care Provider, Bridget Phelan, supports individuals and families in many ways including:
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- Giving people the chance to speak their minds, free of judgement, and supporting their entire well-being through conversation that includes their emotional, spiritual, and intellectual domains.
- Assisting people in exploring their spiritual needs to have hope; to have a sense of meaning and purpose; to feel connected and important others; to be known and accepted; and to love and be loved.
- Working to create a safe space in which people can express themselves, in ways that are authentic to them, and are free to explore the impact of their relationships regardless of nature.
- Supporting people’s belief systems whether they engage in religious practices or other spiritual expressions such as art, music, journaling, yoga, meditation, or breath work.
- Facilitating spontaneous exercises to help people express anticipatory grief or grief experienced after the death of their loved one. They only need a space that feels safe, an object that connects them to their person, and actions that express the way they are feeling at that time.
- Providing grief support to people in the community through individual sessions, or in groups such as Well Within Coffee Talk program or our seasonal Walking Through Grief group.
For more information about these services, how they play a role at Chatham-Kent Hospice or how you can access Spiritual Care support, please contact Sally Reaume at 519-354-3113 ext. 2406.
