Blog

Insights: Spirituality and Aging: Implications for the Care and Support of Older People

02/11/2013

The content of this blog has been reposted with permission from Laurie Blanchard at InfoLTC blog, at http://infoltc.blogspot.com/. Ms. Blanchard is the librarian at the Misericordia Health Centre Library, University of Manitoba Health Sciences Libraries in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Prior to working at the Misericordia Health Centre, Laurie worked at the J.W. Crane Memorial Library, Deer Lodge Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba for 20 years.  She authors the InfoLTC blog for which she won a Manitoba Library Association's Innovation Award and the People’s Choice Award for Best Poster at the CHLA/ABSC 2009 Conference in Winnipeg. Ms. Blanchard is a former editor of the Bibliotheca Medica Canadiana (now the Journal of the Canadian Health Libraries Association (CHLA) , and currently serves on the board of the CHLA. Ms. Blanchard's views are solely her own and do not necessarily represent the views of Clinical Geriatrics or of HMP Communications, LLC.

From the Institute for Research and Innovation in Social Science, the latest issue of Insights is dedicated to spirituality and its relation to aging and health care. 

Topics include: what is spirituality; spirituality as separate from religion; spiritual care in health and social policy; the research about spirituality, health and aging; and the practice of spiritual care for older people.

Key Points from the issue:

  • There is disagreement and discussion about the definition of spirituality.
  • Aging is a journey which includes a spiritual dimension.
  • The spiritual dimension focuses on meaning of life, hope, and purpose, explored through relationships with others, with the natural world, and with the transcendent.
  • The evidence base suggests that genuine and intentional accompaniment of people on their aging journey and giving time, presence, and listening are the core of good spiritual practice.
  • Reminiscence, life story, creative activities, and meaningful rituals all help the process of coming to terms with aging and change.

To see the full report, please access it here.

Related Content

Blog
Blog
Hyper Tension: the JNC 8 Controversy
03/13/2014
If I were not in practice, I might have time to carefully read the entire Eighth Joint National Committee Report on the management of high blood pressure in adults, the other competing guidelines, and the...
03/13/2014
Commentary
Commentary
Writing Clinic: Choosing an Approach, Part 1
10/04/2020
Now that you've identified your topic, let's talk about choosing the best approach to covering that topic.
10/04/2020
Geriatrics
Geriatrics
When Healthcare is a Right—Not a Privilege: Insights on Healthcare From My Trip to Cuba
12/05/2013
Dr. Warner-Maron has been practicing nursing for 33 years, specializing in the care of geriatric patients. She is an Assistant Professor at St. Joseph’s University in the department of Interdisciplinary...
12/05/2013
Blog
Blog
It Is Hard to Argue With 50 Years of Professional Experience
11/14/2012
Pediatric BlogAfter getting our food, my wife and I couldn’t find a place to sit. The place was packed. We each scanned the room trying to find two seats together.Over to the side, there was a gentlemen...
11/14/2012
Blog
Blog
Whining and Negativity in a 9-Year-Old Girl
07/16/2015
Anna wrote in:My daughter is now 9, and I’ve noticed a steady increase in negativity in the past several months.  She has become whinier, she has an attitude (more “entitled”), etc.  The...
07/16/2015