BookChristina M. Puchalski, Betty Ferrell ; foreword by Rachel Naomi Remen.
Summary: While spirituality has been generally recognized as an essential dimension of palliative care, uniformity of spiritual care practice has been lacking across healthcare settings due to factors like varying understandings and definitions of spirituality, lack of resources and practical tools, and limited professional education and training in spiritual care. In order to address these shortcomings, more than forty spiritual and palliative care experts gathered for a national conference to discuss guidelines for incorporating spirituality into palliative care. Their consensus findings form the basis of Making Health Care Whole. This important new resource provides much-needed definitions and charts a common language for addressing spiritual care across the disciplines of medicine, nursing, social work, chaplaincy, psychology, and other groups. This book also advocates a team approach to spiritual care, and specifies the roles of each professional on the team. Serving as both a scholarly review of the field as well as a practical resource with specific recommendations to improve spiritual care in clinical practice, Making Health Care Whole will benefit hospices and palliative care programs in hospitals, home care services, and long-term care services.
Contents:
Why spirituality in palliative care
Guidelines/preferred practices for spiritual care
Spirituality : defining the concept
Background : historical context of spirituality in palliative care
Professional standards for spiritual care
Spiritual care models
Spiritual history taking and assessment of patients and families
The spiritual treatment or care plan
Interprofessional considerations : roles and team functioning
Training and certification
Personal and professional development
Quality improvement.