A couple of months ago I went to a lecture by Professor Richard Egan from Otago University on the importance of spiritual care in healthcare. Apparently models of healthcare are moving away from a focus on the purely physical to become more holistic. There’s a greater recognition that wellbeing needs to include people’s physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs.

Here in Aotearoa we sometimes talk about Te Whare Tapa Whā: the four sides or dimensions of health: tinana, hinengaro, whānau and wairua. This model was developed in 1984 by Mason Durie and it has been widely adopted, including at places like Tamahere.

Egan noted that in New Zealand less than 20 percent of the population is actively connected to a community of faith. However, there’s growing research to show that while they may not be religious, many people consider themselves spiritual and that the majority want some kind of spiritual care at the end of their lives. That has also been my experience.

When people are dying, they often reflect upon the meaning of their lives and whether there are things they need to attend to before they die. They may want to share memories, passon wisdoms and keepsakes, give and ask for forgiveness, make peace with God and ensure that those who are left behind will be OK. These are all spiritual tasks and doing them can help people to die with a sense of peace.

The process of aging comes with its own deeply spiritual concerns. One thing I’m learning is that one of the biggest spiritual issues for older people is that awful feeling that our lives no longer have a purpose. When we’re a bit wobbly on our feet, when we have trouble thinking straight or remembering things and especially when we can no longer look after ourselves the way we used to, we may wonder why we’re still here. The sadness and despair which often goes along with this can leave people feeling as if they’re no longer good for anything.

Meeting these kinds of profound spiritual needs is the task of all of us who live and work with older people. Some of it can be done by spiritual care professionals like a chaplain. But a whole lot of it - up to 80% according to Richard Egan - is done by the compassionate presence all of us can offer each other.

The most important thing any of us can do for another person is to make them feel that they are being seen, heard and loved. At Tamahere I see staff and family members and sometimes residents themselves - the completely well and the very confused - offering that ministry of presence. It’s a lovely thing to see people living with dementia talking together, sharing their confusion but somehow understanding each other’s sadness and pain, offering a gentle loving hand of friendship. 

To me, this is the heart of spiritual care. As a member of one of my congregations once said, “compassion, compassion, compassion”, it’s the very face of Christ.