Increasing Understanding shortlist - Faith in Older People

Increasing Understanding shortlist - Faith in Older People

Faith in Older People educates, encourages, and supports volunteers, health and social care workers, members of faith communities and other agencies to increase their understanding of spiritual care and issues around ageing. We do this through research, conferences, courses, on-line monthly seminars, a newsletter and working collaboratively. `

All the work we have undertaken with care home staff as well as faith communities highlight the difficulty people have in thinking about and perhaps understanding the importance of spiritual care in all our lives. Defining spirituality is always tricky. In this context, I have chosen the search forthat which:

“gives zest, energy, meaning and identity to the person’s life, in relation to other people and the wider world.”[1]

One of the good things which came out of the Pandemic was a greater appreciation of our spiritual lives and the comfort and resilience that it gives. For some people this encompasses faith and religion but in addition and for others it is about what matters to them in the widest sense – the outside world, music, relationships, and creativity. Underlying all attempts at defining spirituality is meaning and purpose and our sense of belonging.

Our current work includes a very welcome involvement in the development of the Scottish Government’s Spiritual Care Framework which we hope will raise the importance of including spiritual care in all health and social care and ensuring that all staff have a basic understanding of what it means for themselves as well as those for whom they care. FiOP contributed two scoping reviews highlighting the issues in university and FE college curriculums (Scoping reviews of spiritual care in the curriculum for nurses and health and social care staff (faithinolderpeople.org.uk).

Underpinning all our work is the spiritual dimension so we want to increase awareness of it through work on bereavement and we have just produced a collaborative newsletter with GLGDGG on this important issue. FiOP will also be facilitating the EASE course in the summer and these two strands of work are part of the collaborative nature of our work.

A recently published report ‘The Gift of Age’ ( The-gift-of-age.pdf (faithinolderpeople.org.uk) demonstrates the enormous contribution that older people make within their faith community and the support provided to other local initiatives. The work of faith communities often goes under the radar, but it can be seen in relation to supporting people who are lonely and isolated; those who are experiencing dementia or enduring mental health challenges.

In our discussions we have found that the language we use to talk about spirituality feels alien but when you begin to talk about what people do in providing care understanding develops. The need to listen attentively to hear what matters to someone and to see what lights them up – a walk in the rain; being read to; having their favourite music or simply the presence of someone who brings comfort. Its all about the individual; what makes their spirit rise and imbuing a sense of belonging.

Maureen O’Neill
Director
Faith in Older People
www.faithinolderpeople.org.uk

Read about the other Demystifying Death Award nominees here: Demystifying Death Awards Blogs