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Spiritual Care in the OPD. Harvey A. Elder, M. D. Spiritual:. Searching the sacred for meaning and purpose Who am I? Where did I come from? Where am I going? What is there after death? Relating to the Sacred, Ultimate, to God Faith is the name of the relationship.
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Spiritual Care in the OPD Harvey A. Elder, M. D.
Spiritual: • Searching the sacred for meaning and purpose • Who am I? • Where did I come from? • Where am I going? • What is there after death? • Relating to the Sacred, Ultimate, to God • Faith is the name of the relationship Medical Strategic Network
Who are the patients in the OPD? Integrated multifactor unity Who do you see? Why come? What supports their identity? What core issues do they face? What are their central spiritual needs? How well are they coping? Providing Spiritual Care What Is Spiritual Care? Medical Strategic Network
What Supports Their Identity • If physical illness challenges identity • If mental mental slowing threatens • If emotional emotional varieties threaten • If social how perceived threatens • If spiritual: belief in Almighty Being stability • If merciful/gracious past forgiven • If personal love specific, deep and tender • If creative self-worth stable not subject to threat Medical Strategic Network
Core Issues Faced • Who are you? What are you worth? • Who cares about you? Who cares for you? • What drives you? Are you free from your past? • What does you future look like? • How do you cope with life? with illness? with stress? • All of these complicate illness, compliance and recovery Medical Strategic Network
Meet Joe • Joe: 23 yr. old, 2nd yr. of professional school married 6 mo., a committed Christian • During exam week for 1st yr. nocturnal diarrhea, often keeping awake all night. • What are his spiritual needs? Medical Strategic Network
More about Joe • He took Benadryl and this helped a little • His mother died of lymphoma, 05/08 • He has small lymph nodes below his rt. Jaw • What are his spiritual needs? Medical Strategic Network
Who are the patients in the OPD? What are their central spiritual needs? Connection: past, present, future What questions do they deal with? How well are they coping? Providing Spiritual Care What Is Spiritual Care? Medical Strategic Network
What Are Their Questions? • Physical: • Meaning, outcome • Suffering, impairment • Mental/cognitive: • Mental faculties, “loose it,” employment, hobbies • Social: • Social support, abandonment, financial stability • Spiritual: • Why me? • Where is God in all of this? Medical Strategic Network
Meet Cara • 71 yr. old lady living with her third husband • 1 mo. cough that worsened, especially at night • 1 wk. cough can’t breath unless sits up • Believes in God and trusts Him when necessary • What are her spiritual needs? Medical Strategic Network
Additional Info for Cara • Additional information: • Second husband died of cancer of the lungs • Father died, age 72, of heart failure with severe dyspnea • What are her spiritual needs? Medical Strategic Network
Who are the patients in the OPD? What are their central spiritual needs? How well are they coping? Orienting System Role of illness if Identity based on: physical, mental, emotional, social, spiritual Spiritual Care in the OPD What Is Spiritual Care? Medical Strategic Network
Who are the patients in the OPD? What are their central spiritual needs? How well are they coping? Spiritual Care in the OPD Initial visit Strategy Meeting spiritual needs What Is Spiritual Care? Medical Strategic Network
Initial Visit: Questions • “How coping with symptoms/illness/life?” • “Religious heritage? Still practicing?” • “What are you famous for?” • “How has this illness affected the way you see yourself?” • “What about your symptoms concerns you?” • “How do you view the future”? Medical Strategic Network
Strategy • Ask something at the first visit • Note in the chart something not clarified • Keep the conversation going from visit to visit • Asking questions about multiple aspects of life frees patients to ask about their concerns • Treat each area of concern as you would, any clinical problem: query, evaluate and fine help • At some point they will have a major crisis! Medical Strategic Network
Respond to Spiritual Needs • Connection: presence, listening, hearing • Identity: God’s precious child • Self-worth, loved • Grace: accepted (no shame) • Forgiveness confession, repentance (gift), humility • Commitment: faith praise and obedience, hope • Bring specific spiritual answers to their needs, not generic ones (pray more, read Bible, etc.) • No proselytizing Medical Strategic Network
Spiritual Care • Speaking TRUTH to meet human needs • Friendship, building a safe relationship (not Amway!) • Connection, willing to share in their suffering • Freedom from judgment • Helping them find support • God, Holy Spirit, Christians friends • Stand with encourage, hold as they struggle with • Acceptance and love • Forgiveness: self and others • Self-worth: precious child of God Medical Strategic Network