Monday 21 December 2015

Refreshing the spirit



Refreshing the spirit

It feels as if it was only yesterday that we were thinking about 2015 and what we wanted to achieve.  The time seems to have flashed past and as we reach the end of this year we reflect on what has happened to us and to others in the past months.  For many it has been an extremely difficult year with conflict and displacement; with change and confusion; loss and bereavement and other things which challenge our resilience and sense of hope.

But this is a time of light and expectation; of looking forward and to harnessing our strengths to meet the challenges of the next year.  Which will, no doubt, pass just as quickly as previous ones or perhaps this is a phenomenon that comes to us as we grow older.

It is a time to refresh our spirit which draws together the things which matter most to us; which give us a sense of meaning and purpose and the way in which we view the world. For FiOP spirituality, however we define it for ourselves, is the glue which binds us and gives us a connection with the wider world.

We want to make sure that this element of our lives is reflected in the way services and policies are developed; the way in which we treat each other; how we empower those who are more vulnerable and how we enhance a sense of well-being.  Never shy of a challenge we know there is much to do as we progress work on dementia friendly faith communities; consider how spiritual care can be enhanced in continuing care unit; how we encourage people to consider that understanding their own spirituality can enhance the way they treat other people.

As we approach the New Year suggestions stimulated by Edward Hays as to how we might travel have resonance:





  • face the unknown and see it as an adventure
  • travel simply and take joy and hardship as they come
  • open our ears, eyes and minds and heart to new experiences
 All our good wishes for Christmas and for a peaceful, fruitful and fulfilling 2016



Maureen O’Neill
Director
December 2015

Monday 14 December 2015

How Listening Can Bring Life



HOW LISTENING CAN BRING LIFE    
A day event for anyone involved with Pastoral Care of older people

WHY
Listening to our older people is especially important in our society that remains focused on activity and achievements and does not value quality of life experience and the wisdom that comes from living a long life.
Yet our older people do face real challenges of increased frailty; loss of friends; disappointments through life and often lack of choice in current forms supported care.

WHAT
So what have each of us learnt from the older people we have lived alongside? What has listening to them taught us about listening well and ageing well? We will listen to one another and gather our experiences and reflect upon the richness of the life experience of the elderly and how to listen to them and bring them compassion and valuing. We will tackle some of the more difficult issues, how to bring hope when older people feel hopeless; how to bring questions of faith into the conversation; how to work out what lifts their spirits?
A simple framework will be offered to help you reflect yourself on your visits in a focused way. The exercises we use you can replicate with others who are also caring, potentially giving networks of learning and support at home.

AIM
The intention of this day is to allow us all to appreciate the power of listening well; so that listening can be both ordinary and extraordinary. 
Above all it is about reflecting on how to listen so that those we listen to, most especially the elderly, experience affirmation, appreciation, understanding and so given life.
The beauty of listening well is that it is reciprocal process so that the benefits are mutual, thus making our gift of time and listening life-giving for us, too.

Jenny Williams
December 2015