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Spiritual Care

Spiritual Health Services

Tree
Reflection-Tree of Life
Spiritual health is experienced as being at peace with oneself, showing acceptance (unconditional love), having an enduring hope, knowing one's purpose and meaning in life, belonging to a supportive community and being mindful of an ultimate source of life.
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Spiritual care is the activity of devoting attention and respectful assistance to a person's spiritual life. It is the focused, conscious practice of listening to the questions of the seeker. Is there a reason for this? How can I cope with this? Why me? What do I do now? Spiritual care is the compassionate companionship into the depth of the questions. It is always person focused. Often these deep questions surface in the midst of a health crisis or in a struggle with a significant life change. Spiritual care is about discernment of meaning in this particular life situation.

  • Spiritual care is an integrated health service. All health care practitioners (nurse, doctor, health care aide, physiothereapist, etc) are spiritually sensitive and practice spiritual care as they are able. They also know how to make referrals to Spiritual Health Services.
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  • Spiritual care is a special health service should you request it. You may ask any health care practitioner to connect you with Spiritual Health Services and you will be offered care according to your preference and availability of a:
    1. Spiritual Health Volunteer
    2. Representative of a faith/spiritual/religious community
    3. Spiritual Health Coordinator

Spiritual care offers you:

  • Someone to listen with an open mind
  • Paying attention to your experience of suffering
  • Helping you work through life changes and decisions including grief and loss
  • Arranging ceremonies, sacraments, rites of your own choosing
  • The awareness of your own inner strengths
  • Kindness, compassion, respect from another human being
  • Holistic care based on hope, spiritual diversity, inclusivity
  • Honoring the mystery of ordinary life

 

 

 

 

 

SPIRITUAL CARE IS AVAILABLE TO PATIENTS, RESIDENTS,
CLIENTS, AND THEIR FAMILIES!
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For more information, please contact:
Spiritual Health Services
Coordinator Otto Christensen
Phone: (204) 641-1379
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"There is no higher religion than human service"
"To work for the common good is the greatest creed"
Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965)
RESOURCES
EDUCATION
LINKS

A person’s Spirituality….

  • refers to how a person weaves together relationships and activities in different areas of their life into a web of meaning, purpose and a value for their life. Many people develop values and principles for how to live life from a variety of sources. Others lean more into one particular spiritual tradition. In either case their spirituality is central to the person’s hope, solace and well being and it guides the person’s recovery from illness.
  • is enacted in the relationships with self (past and present), others, the community (locally and worldwide) and with an ultimate source of life as defined by the person self (Creator, God, conscience, the transcendent, Great Spirit, etc).

A person’s Religion….

  • identifies how the individual subscribes to a certain belief system with its practices and moral codes. The religion offers the person a community of like minded. Religions are historically evolved interpretations of life/belief systems; they range from some being inclusive and self-reflective to others that claim to be the only “true” religion and requiring a “blind” following from its adherents.
In all cases Spiritual Health Services offers a caring relationship to help the person connect with his/her inner source of strength in the cultural and spiritual context of the person.
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RESOURCES
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  • Brochures:
    Spiritual Health Services (Click here) - General Information
    Fences (Click here) - How support is essential to recovery
    Doorways (Click here) -Tips on how to respond to common emotional expressions in the Personal Care Home
Otto Picture
EDUCATION & SPECIAL EVENTS
Spirituality and Health Care (Click here) - A 9 week education course for would-be volunteers and people interested in spirituality.
Check with the Spiritual Care Coordinator for where the course is currently being offered and for further information.
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Spiritual Sensitivity - Education in a box
This 10 hour self learning module for health care practitioners may be requested from the IRHA education department and the Spiritual Care Coordinator.

Spiritual Health Care Week (Click here)

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LINKS
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Manitoba Multifaith Council: http://www.manitobamultifaithcouncil.ca/

Canadian Virtual Hospice: http://www.virtualhospice.ca/en_US/Main+Site+Navigation/Home.aspx

Hospice & Palliative Care Manitoba: http://www.manitobahospice.ca/