The article, “Adding Life to the Days of Terminally Ill Children in India”, by Hila Mehr states
“The care is delivered to the patient and their family or support system, usually by a team of experts that include physicians, nurses, social workers, health aides, chaplains as well as support personnel.
American Institute Health Care Professionals’ insight:
This sad article looks at the reality of terminally ill children in India who cannot afford proper care. Pastoral care givers hope to give some quality of life to these suffering children.
This is the primary purpose of any Pastoral Thanatology–to care for the dying, of any age. It is even more painful when one sees death coming so early to these young faces. The study of Pastoral Thanatology hopes to teach care givers the skills to help alleviate the suffering of the dying and guide them.
If you are interested in Pastoral Thanatology, then please review our program. Our program in Pastoral Thanatology is for qualified professionals who seek certification in this field. By taking the core courses in the program in Pastoral Thanatology, qualified professionals become eligible for certification
Recertification in the program in Pastoral Thanatology occurs after three years. For those interested in learning more about the program in Pastoral Thanatology, please review our blog. If you have any questions, please let us know.
Our program in pastoral thanatology prepares people for spiritual and cultural diversity of the dying
The article, “Spiritual care: challenges in a multicultural and multireligious society”, by Piret Paal states
“Piret Paal researcher at the Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich, explains the key points discussed at a recent German-speaking conference on multireligious spirituality and multiprofessional…”
American Institute Health Care Professionals’ insight:
A good reminder for care givers and social workers in ministry that not all share the same values and faith.
When giving spiritual care in a pastoral setting, one can face many cultural and religious backgrounds that view death, suffering and God from different prisms. A pastoral care giver needs to be prepared to help people from these different view points. Pastoral Thanatology is about serving everyone from a spiritual perspective and of human wholeness. To be better able to accomplish this, a care giver must be well versed in various other cultures and spiritual practices.
A good spiritual counselor, pastoral care giver, or medical care giver should have at least some understanding of different cultures and religions if they are around death and the dying.
If you are interested in learning more about spiritual counseling, then please review the program. If you are interested on how to become a pastoral care giver for the dying, then review our other programs in grief and pastoral care
Our program in Pastoral Thanatology covers basic core concepts within the field of grief and dying. After completion of the program, qualified professionals are eligible for certification.
The article, “Strengthening Experiences From Patients While Dying”, by Dr T. Jared Bunch, MD states
“Death is a great part of the human experience. It is often an experience that we will not go through alone.”
American Institute Health Care Professionals’ insight:
Pastoral Care of the dying is about treating the whole person. This article looks at how we can help the dying move to the next world. So many times in the past, we have seen the dying pass away in a sterile hospital environment with death being seen as the enemy.
information on pastoral thanatology
When we accept death and that we are now terminal, we still try to live but we understand that quality of the short time in all doubt left is critical. Being treated and understood as a human being is critical but also the fact that we see death not as a complete adversary although we try to flee it but more as a part of life.
Our Pastoral Thanatology Program helps train individuals in the art of pastoral care to the dying. After completing the required courses, you are then eligible to become certified in Pastoral Thanatology.
If you have any questions about our program or need any information on Pastoral Thanatology, then please review the program. In the meantime, enjoy the blog and browse the site
American Institute Health Care Professionals’ insight:
End of life is not about traveling to the Elephant Grave Yard but is about quality of life. Good pastoral care is about helping people have a quality existence that treats the entire person.
Many myths exist about palliative and hospice care. Those trained in Pastoral Thanatologyunderstand that pastoral care of the dying is about treating the person not the illness. While other myths exist about palliative care, one should not necessarily see it as the end of the road but instead a transition to another life with the care needed to help one not just physically, but also emotionally
I do believe that many are beginning to see pass previous misconceptions of palliative care and are beginning to see the benefits and joys of being treated as full human being instead of merely the symptoms. Many also find joy in finding solace in their last days at home. This is truly a blessing for many and should be universally more applied. No one, unless it is a medical must, wishes to suffer and die in a hospital.
In the meantime, enjoy our blog which has additional articles on Pastoral Thanatology and Pastoral Care. You can also visit our grief counseling page for similar information on helping the dying. We also have Facebook, Google Plus and Twitter pages to review.
The article, “Death With Dignity’ Difficult For Hospice Workers”, by Kristian Foden-Vencil states
“Workers who provide hospice care to the dying are struggling with physician-assisted death laws, according to a new study out of Oregon State University.”
American Institute Health Care Professionals‘s insight:
Many hospice care givers have a very different view on assisted suicide than other health care providers. The pastoral care nature of hospice preaches the gift of life and caring for those in the latter years rather than killing. This seems like a logical conclusion then that most pastoral care professionals would find the idea to be morally wrong. Death With Dignity is an important step in the dying process.
Do you ever lie to a patient in pastoral care for the greater good?
pastoral care
The article, “Dementia sufferers told white lies to keep them happy: Nurses and psychiatrists admit ‘therapeutic lying’ to confused patients”, by Amanda Williams states
“Almost all nurses who treat dementia patients have admitted ‘telling white lies’ to avoid distressing them, it has today been revealed.”
American Institute Health Care Professionals’ insight:
Is a white lie a good thing for a dementia patient? This is the question as many health professionals admit to this when dealing with dementia patients in regards to the overall good. This article looks at this pastoral care issue and examines what one should really do
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Pastoral Thanatology is the study of dying and how to help care for people pastorally. Hence this title is very appropriate not only in understanding the nature of dying but also helping those in spiritual and mental anguish.
Overall this can be a very subjective question because it depends on the spiritual make up of an individual. Are you an atheist who believes you will cease to exist? Are you a Hindu, who believes you will probably return as another person? Are you a Theist and believe that there is a spiritual world of reward or damnation awaiting you?
Again psychologically how did you deal with death your whole life? Did you avoid it? Did you fear it? Or did you openly deal with it or were exposed to it? How did death affect you when you dealt with it? How did you grieve? Were you taught to conceal or reveal your pain?
All these questions circle around an individual in their perspective of death. Yet as a human person, we for the most part all share common traits and anxieties about the unknown certainty of death. This unknown element can bring certain concerns or fears no matter how well we dealt with death in our lives.
Kubler Ross in her book, “Death: The Final Stage of Growth” looked into a program called “The Living Until Death Program” which sought to give consolation to the dying and also gain a greater insight into death. Many were judged based upon the Emotional Adjustment Scale. This scale looked at a person’s ability to cope interiorly and exteriorly to one’s approaching death. It looked at a variety of sociological factors as well, including age, sex, type of disease, religion, etc.
Many of the patients in the study looked for four things to find stabilization. Some found faith, oneself, a spouse or the physician in aiding their emotional adjustment to the pending reality of death. For the elderly the biggest concern and fear was not death itself but they wished not to burden their family. Half the patients also expressed fear of being separated from their loved ones. Life no longer having any meaning was another dread as the dying patient approached the finish line.
While fear of pain and suffering are always a high priority, I feel many of these fears subside to the more lasting realities of separation from loved ones and the fear of the unknown. This is why is it so important to have a healthy dialogue with death while alive.
I cannot relate to agnostics or atheists, but the belief in an afterlife is a soothing reflection I have to this day and one I will undoubtedly have upon the time of my death.
If you are interested in learning more about bereavement care and pastoral counseling, then please review the program.
Nurses and doctors who show heart give a great relief of stress for their patient
Kubler Ross, the great pioneer in the study of dying looked at death and dying from a socialogical prism. Her natural compassion and sympathy for the patient pushed her to great insight in regards to treatment of the patient and care of the “person”. Within the Pastoral Care field, I think it is important, especially for those in pastoral care within the hospital setting, to study her research regarding the pyschology of the patient within the hosptial.
One of the first obersevations is how the patient or person feels upon being admitted into the hospital. Kubler Ross noted that patients first, felt stripped of autonomy. From the stripping of the clothes, surrending of personal items and confiscation of medication, the patient becomes total dependent upon the hosptial system. In many cases, they see the hospital staff as interlopers who are breaking down the relationship between them and their primary physician.
On the other hand, the hospital, while its staff and system should be commended for saving lives, unfortunately at times, seems like a repair shop. It is there to repair the disease, not the person. Ideas of death, are seen as failure. In Kubler Ross’s article, she even points out that such words as “dead” or sometimes unconsciously substituted with “expire” or “loss”. The death of a patient is seen as failure. With these things in mind, we can see why the emerging importance of hospice is critical, especially if hospitals do not have the pastoral training necessary to treat the whole person.
Continuing on with the admission of the patient, the patient soon understands two realities during the hospitial visit. First, “I must survive the stay” and second, “how can I ensure that I am cared for?”. In regards to the second point, the patient may feel uneasy over-using the help button. This forces the patient to possibly manage pain to save the button for only the most important needs. A simply sigh by a nurse or disgruntled expression can effect the patient’s willingness to call when needed. Furthermore, a reward versus punishment paradigm develops in their mind. The rules of the game indicate waiting as punishment, while anticiapation of their needs as a reward for their good behavior. Other subtle rewards are seen as a doctor who sits instead of stands while speaking to them, or a nurse who takes the time to merely touch their shoulder while explaining something. The reality is patients are testing their boundaries all the time. They are trying to see what is acceptable and what is not. One patient interveiwed by Kubler Ross, said she wished to acknowledge the busy schedule of the nurse as a token of appreciation, in a hope the nurse would appreciate her. This is an unfortunate psychological reaction of the patient in the hospital and one that should not come into play but unfortunately does.
Another element is entitlement. Patients feel they are entitled to a certain level of care, not based on money spent, but how ill they are. Fever and pain level are two indicators in how much a patient will risk punishment for entitlement. The closer to death, the more a patient will push the button, feeling they deserve more.
Ultimately, a hospital is about recovery of the injured body part. While it should strive also to serve the personhood of the patient, it sometimes falls short. Nurses are trained more in technological aspects that keep the patient alive instead of interpersonal skills that keep the patient secure and happy. Kubler Ross applauded the hospital system and understood the nature of the system, but also wished to make it better with a more sincere effort to make the patient also emotionally and spiritually happy.
American Institute Health Care Professionals‘s insight:
When a loved one is dying, pastoral care can also be given by the family. End of life issues are something we will all face. The family needs to understand that dying is not a medical procedure but a critical event in their loved one’s life and certain social and emotional interaction is needed.
So many times, Pastoral Care can lead to burnout for ministers and other caregivers who attend to the mind, body and spirit of others. Just like any field, stress can lead to burnout. In the pastoral thanatology field many depend on the counselor to help them. Try following this article to help you if you are feeling burnt out.
Paul Vitello of the NY Times writes about pastoral burnout and the importance of relaxation for pastoral care givers in his article “Taking a Break From the Lord’s Work”
