scholarly journals Older Adults’ Spiritual Needs in Health Care Settings

2011 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 131-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
David R. Hodge ◽  
Violet E. Horvath ◽  
Heather Larkin ◽  
Angela L. Curl
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Professional Staff ◽  
Joint Commission ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Spiritual Needs ◽  
Relationship With God ◽  
Health Care Settings ◽  
Spiritual Assessment ◽  
Staff Interactions

Recognizing that spiritual needs often emerge in health care settings, the Joint Commission requires spiritual assessments in numerous organizations frequented by older adults. Given that many gerontological practitioners have received little training in identifying spiritual needs, a qualitative meta-synthesis ( N = 9 studies) was conducted to identify and describe older adults’ perceptions of their spiritual needs in health care settings. Five interrelated categories emerged: (a) spiritual practices; (b) relationship with God; (c) hope, meaning, and purpose; (d) interpersonal connection; and (e) professional staff interactions. The implications of the findings are discussed as they inform the spiritual assessment process.

Life Review in Pastoral Counseling: Background and Efficacy for Use with the Terminally III

2003 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
pp. 281-292 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert G. LeFavi ◽  
Marcia H. Wessels
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Pastoral Counseling ◽  
Life Story ◽  
Terminally Ill ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Life Review ◽  
Systematic Theology ◽  
Spiritual Needs ◽  
Traumatic Death ◽  
Spiritual Assessment

Research continues to confirm that sharing one's life story through the process of life review enhances psychological well-being and increases life satisfaction. Although researchers have outlined techniques and activities that may be used in life review with older adults, little work has focused on the use of life review methods with terminally ill patients. Additionally, researchers have suggested that life review can take on the form of a spiritual assessment; and that such spiritually oriented life reviews may enhance a sense of meaning and foster reconciliation as one approaches dying. In this article, the authors provide a brief review of the research on and the practice of life review. Further, by merging concepts of life review with systematic theology, they offer a sample instrument—using the example of one faith framework—with which pastoral caregivers can better approach the spiritual needs of patients and facilitate a less traumatic death in the terminally ill.

The importance of spiritual assessment when caring for older adults

2014 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
ANN HARRINGTON
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Substance Abuse ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Care Giver ◽  
Spiritual Assessment ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Growing Body

ABSTRACTThere is a growing body of literature documenting the positive effects of both religiousness and spirituality on human health, particularly among those who are ageing or diagnosed with a life-limiting illness. These positive effects provide buffers to life's stressors such as those associated with mental illness, care-giver burden, substance abuse and social disruption resulting from war. An important aspect of health care for individuals of all ages involves completion of a spiritual assessment. This paper explores the concept of spirituality and spiritual assessment, which has many definitions in the literature, and also provides examples of assessment tools from theology, nursing, social work and medicine.

scholarly journals Interdisciplinary communication and collaboration as key to improved nutritional care of malnourished older adults across health‐care settings – A qualitative study

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 1096-1107
Author(s):  
Marije H. Verwijs ◽  
Saskia Puijk‐Hekman ◽  
Ellen Heijden ◽  
Emmelyne Vasse ◽  
Lisette C. P. G. M. Groot ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Interdisciplinary Communication ◽  
Nutritional Care ◽  
Health Care Settings

scholarly journals Improving Care for Elders Who Prefer Informal Spaces to Age-Separated Institutions and Health Care Settings

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stacy Torres ◽  
Xuemei Cao
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Public Transportation ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Third Places ◽  
Health Care Settings

Abstract Background and Objectives Despite advantages of urban areas (such as walkability, public transportation, nearby shopping, and health care services), challenges remain for elders aging in place to access care. The changing demographics of older adults, with higher rates of divorce, singlehood, and childlessness, often living alone and far from family, necessitate new strategies to support health and well-being. Research Design and Methods Drawing on 5 years of ethnographic fieldwork and 25 interviews with elders in New York City, this study presents empirical insights into older adults’ use of “third places” close to home, in conjunction with more formal settings. Results This article identifies external and internalized ageism and complicated age-based identity as important reasons why older adults preferred “third places” to age-separated spaces such as senior centers and formal settings such as health care settings. We find that neighborhood “third places” offer important physical venues for older adults to process negative or hurried interactions in other formal and age-separated places. Discussion and Implications This article makes policy suggestions for increasing access and usage of essential services, including developing attractive and appealing intergenerational spaces in which older community members can obtain services and dispatching caseworkers to public spaces where elders congregate. Furthermore, this article recommends improving exchanges between health care providers and older adults so that they feel recognized, respected, and cared for, which can improve health care outcomes.

Promoting Physical Activity among Middle-Aged and Older Adults in Health Care Settings

2001 ◽  
Vol 9 (s1) ◽  
pp. S29-S37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Eakin
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Physical Inactivity ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Health Care Settings ◽  
Physical Activity Interventions ◽  
Effective Interventions ◽  
Social Environmental

Physical inactivity continues to be a significant public health issue for middle-aged and older adults. This review focuses on physical activity interventions targeting older adults in health care settings. The literature in this area is limited and the results to date disappointing. Much remains to be done to develop effective interventions targeting older adults, especially those from underserved groups. Attention also needs to be paid to maintenance of initial treatment gains and to linking primary-care-based physical activity interventions to community-based resources. Recognition in the social and behavioral sciences of the importance of social-environmental influences on health and health behaviors mandates both a multidisciplinary and a multilevel intervention approach to the problem of physical inactivity.

scholarly journals The spiritual experience of dementia from the health care provider perspective: Implications for intervention

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer A Palmer ◽  
Michelle Hilgeman ◽  
Tracy Balboni ◽  
Sara Paasche-Orlow ◽  
Jennifer L Sullivan
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Spiritual Care ◽  
Spiritual Experience ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Spiritual Needs ◽  
Medical Conditions ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Spiritual Assessment ◽  
Spiritual Distress ◽  
Loss Of Self

Abstract Background and Objectives Spiritual care aims to counter negative outcomes from spiritual distress and is beneficial to persons living with dementia. Such care needs dementia-appropriate customization. We explored the salient spiritual needs in dementia to inform future intervention development. Health care providers are well-situated to observe the nature of spiritual needs across and within medical conditions. Research Design and Methods We conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with providers. We sampled purposively by discipline (chaplains, nursing staff, social workers, activities professionals) and religious tradition (for chaplains). Our interview guide inquired about, e.g., the nature of spiritual needs in dementia and stakeholders’ roles in addressing them. Inductive / deductive thematic analysis was employed. Results Twenty-four providers participated. The thematic structure consisted of two themes: 1) spiritual experience in dementia differs from that in other medical conditions (sub-themes: fear, profound loss of self, progressive and incurable nature, and impacted ability to access faith); and 2) the need for spiritual intervention at the mild stage of dementia (sub-themes: awareness in mild dementia and its influence on spiritual distress, and a window of opportunity). Discussion and Implications We learned about the potential “what” of spiritual needs and “who” and “when” of implementing spiritual care. Implications included the imperative for dementia-specific spiritual assessment tools, interventions targeting fear and loss of self early in symptom progression, and stakeholder training. Researchers should study additionally the “how” of dementia-appropriate spiritual care. Conjointly, these efforts could promote spiritual well-being in persons living with dementia worldwide.

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