It’s common that seniors often fall into depression and feelings of hopelessness at the end of their life. This will lead to a loss of will to live on, which can worsen any medical condition or illness that the senior is suffering from.

This feeling of despair and depressing mindset are brought on by the decline in physical and mental state of a senior, along with a decrease in social interactions, as they grow older. These feelings can also stem from a senior’s questioning of his or her own self-identity in old age, and thoughts of being abandoned and dying alone, which often intensified by ill health or after the loss of a loved one.

Normal caregiving routine can’t help in this kind of situation because the problem is not external pain but inner pain that lies inside in the mind and soul of a senior. What they need is a special type of care that can attend to their mental & spiritual wellbeing, help pick up their spirit and assist them in coping with changes in their body functions, injuries, illnesses, and loss.

Spiritual care is the answer for situations where seniors lost their purpose to go on living. This type of care is specialised on taking care of the spiritual side and mental health of seniors going through tough times, helping them transcend the losses, rediscover hope, resilience, and inner strength to move on with their life. It can also help seniors to make peace with the concept of dying, and remove the fear and anxiety that connected to it. Spiritual care can be provided by carer, psychologists, or pastoral specialists, and tailored to the senior’s background & wishes.

While many still question the legitimacy of this method due to its religious overtones in a secular healthcare system, at the root of it all is taking care of what’s going on inside the mind of a person. There is no denying that if it can be facilitated well, spiritual care can be useful not only to the religious people, but also to those who identified themselves as non-religious.

Noted that, despite its religion-based theme and name, spiritual care can be as simple as letting someone spend their last hours with their beloved pet or watching their favourite movie. At the end of the day, this healthcare concept is all about lifting up the spirit of a senior and helping them to reach the state of mindfulness and at ease at the end of their life.

If you want more information on spiritual care and how Home Instead Senior Care Outer East can help you and your seniors, contact one of our friendly staffs at 03 9754 4861. We are committed to provide the best quality care services to seniors, giving them full support to continue living, safely, independently and happily in the comfort of their own home.

Thanks for reading through this Blog, I hope you have found it useful. If you require any further assistance please feel free to contact the office.

Kind regards,

Suzanne McLoughlin
Owner of Home Instead Senior Care Outer East

P.S. We provide free Care Consultations and resource guides to support and guide families. Download your free copies from our Aged Care Resources page or Request a Free Information Pack to receive a hard copy.