Spiritual Care
Find meaning, your way
Our spiritual care counselors are here to listen and guide our patients and their loved ones through the end-of-life journey – in ways that are most helpful and most meaningful to them. Our counselors stand at the ready to honor each individual’s unique values, hopes and desires regardless of faith, creed, background or beliefs.
We provide patients with individualized care
During times of illness and major transitions at the end of life, deep questions may arise. You may experience fear and uncertainty, or be drawn to reviewing the days gone by. Our spiritual care counselors are trained professionals who place you, your values and your beliefs first – above everything – in order to help you feel a sense of peace, resolution, and serenity.
Spiritual care services
We are here to listen
Sometimes, the best gift is an open ear — a kind, caring, non-judgmental and listening presence. Our spiritual care staff members are trained in the art of careful listening; they are adept at creating and holding a space for you and your loved ones to be your authentic selves. As they listen, they can even help you cultivate greater meaning in what you share — lifting up your joys and achievements, while helping to heal past hurts. Our spiritual care team offers services for:
Patients: We visit with the patient, assess potential spiritual care needs, and work to meet them where they are for personal guidance, exploration, conversation or even just simple companionship.
Family members and caregivers: Relationships may become tense during stressful life transitions. Our spiritual care counselors treat each person within the family with compassion, being sensitive to everyone’s feelings.
Community clergy collaboration: Our spiritual care counselors can work with your clergy to help them help you in the best way possible. Likewise, our counselors can provide referrals for other religious or spiritual groups if desired.
Yes. spiritual care is about creating meaning — it’s how you discover value in your life and your experiences. While religion involves institutions and organizations, spirituality is focused entirely on you, what you value, what you believe and how you see the world. Regardless of your background and beliefs, spiritual care can be a valuable resource.
During a spiritual care visit, a spiritual care counselor will come to your home – wherever home is for you – and simply have a conversation. The patient and/or their loved ones are the focus, so our counselors will take their lead from you and help you explore whatever may be on your mind. Often times, initial spiritual care visits help staff get to know you better so that we can offer greater depth and care as time goes by. If prayer or religious rituals are requested, our staff can lead or facilitate those as well — at no time will a spiritual care counselor ever push or assert their own belief system. You and your needs and wishes are always our focus.
While under our care, spiritual care services are available for our patients, their caregivers, family members and loved ones.
Our spiritual care counselors are specifically skilled in end-of-life care. As such, they can be a perfect complement to what your community-based clergy can offer. Spiritual care counselors can help your congregational leadership bring you the care and relationship that you seek at the time — whether through outreach, scheduling, communications or direct assistance.
Our spiritual care counselors can help to provide comfort from the point of admission — helping to build greater solace throughout the entire end-of-life process. Likewise, speaking with spiritual care counselors can be very helpful for caregivers, family members and loved ones as they work to process and cope with their loved one’s end-of-life journey. This can be throughout their entire time with Hospice & Palliative Care Buffalo, not just in the final moments.