Award in Spiritual Dimension in Elderly Care for General Care Givers

This course consists of 11 sessions: 10 lectures and an examination session.

Session 1: Defining Spirituality and Spiritual Care in Healthcare – Competencies in Spiritual Care

Spirituality and spiritual care in health relate to how patients and health professionals seek and express meaning, purpose, connection, value, or transcendence in the context of illness and well-being. A growing body of evidence indicates that spirituality is linked to better health outcomes, patient satisfaction, medical decision-making, and quality of life.

This session will introduce various definitions of spirituality and spiritual care, along with the multidimensional nature of the spiritual field.

Session 2: Interpersonal and Intrapersonal Spirituality

Intraperonal Spirituality focuses on personal spirituality, as providing spiritual care requires healthcare workers to be spiritually grounded themselves. Students will be encouraged to recognise the importance of self-reflection and self-awareness in enhancing their personal growth and effectiveness as providers of spiritual care.

Interpersonal Spirituality involves building relationships with others through effective communication skills. It acknowledges an individual’s unique spiritual and cultural worldviews, fostering feelings of companionship and compassionate care.

Session 3: Spiritual Assessment and Evaluation of Care

In this session, learners are introduced to both formal and informal approaches for assessing patients’ spiritual needs, planning appropriate interventions based on available resources, and evaluating whether these needs have been met.

Session 4: Loss, Grief, and Compassion in the Elderly

Learners will explore the inevitable experiences of grief and loss, as well as feelings of isolation in the elderly. Gaining an understanding of the grief process, as described by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, will help healthcare workers prevent spiritual distress and provide compassionate care for older adults.

Session 5: Spiritual Care in Elderly Rehabilitation

This session will explore the specific spiritual needs of elderly individuals in rehabilitation. It will focus on how healthcare workers can create opportunities for them to engage in creative activities and better confront their feelings of suffering and solitude.

Session 6: Spiritual Care and Mental Health

This session will introduce learners to the various mental health issues that elderly individuals may face and equip healthcare workers with the skills needed to manage and care for them effectively.

Session 7: Spiritual Care in Dementia

This session will introduce learners to dementia in the elderly, providing guidance on managing their care and equipping family members with essential skills to better understand and support their loved ones.

Session 8: The Role of Religion in Spiritual Care for the Elderly

This session will focus on the role of religiosity as an integral aspect of spiritual care.

Session 9: The Sacraments in Different Religions and Spirituality

Learners will explore religious practices across various denominations within society.

Session 10: Case Scenarios in the Spiritual Dimension of Elderly Care

This session will present various case scenarios to assess and evaluate learners’ knowledge, skills, and attitudes acquired throughout the programme, enabling them to apply these effectively when caring for the elderly.