Engaging faith communities in ‘Reshaping Care for Older People’

Engaging faith communities in ‘Reshaping Care for Older People’

It is clear that faith communities make a significant contribution to the care and support of older people but the awareness of the Scottish Government policy relating to older people and perhaps the integration of health and social care has not been so strong.  However, our discussions with different communities indicated that for some there was an interest in being invited to participate in local planning and at the very least to know what was going on.

The Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act 2014 puts in place the legislative framework to integrate health and social care services in Scotland which includes establishing at least two localities in each authority area.

The aim is to ensure that there is more opportunity for communities and professionals to take an active role in the planning of local service provision.  It is emphasised that every locality will involve a range of people from different backgrounds who are accustomed to different working styles and arrangements.  

Faith Communities provide a wide range of services and support very vulnerable older people as well as others through the age spectrum.  Sometimes it is assumed that faith communities are included in the voluntary sector but often this is not the case.  The question is should they be or should they have a more specific identity.  Clearly the important issue is to ensure that they are recognised and included in discussions as appropriate and that there is a clear awareness of the care and support that they provide which enhances the provision in a local area.  Each congregation or community is unique if what it offers.

The Scottish Government and the Joint Improvement Team have recently published guidance on localities in relation to integration.   

The links for the documents are:

Scottish Government Localities Guidance www.gov.scot/Publications/2015/07/5055

Joint Improvement Team - Implementation of Locality Arrangements – checklist  http://www.jitscotland.org.uk/news/implementation-of-locality-arrangements/16thJUne-2015.pdf

Maureen O’Neill

July 2015

Past and Future

Past and Future

Recently I had the privilege of attending the award ceremony for the Fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.  Doctors from twenty countries were receiving awards.  They were representative of different societies and faiths brought together because of their common aim to serve humanity.

The ceremony linked the past to our present and future by considering the achievements of those who have gone before us which provided the stepping stones to what we can achieve today in relation to health care.  It brought together different generations.  Most importantly the need for compassion, to listen, to see people as individuals were all emphasised.  Advances in techniques and technology are not substitutes for kindliness which must be inherent in all care.

These are values we must espouse in delivering care wherever it is given or received remembering that we are first a person and then symptoms and frailty.

Maureen O'Neill

July 2015

Care Homes and Spiritual Care

Care homes and spiritual care

In a recent blog I highlighted the 'My Home Life' project which included as part of the journey of experience for residents the importance of support for faith and spiritual care.

Our Training and Development Co-ordinator, Helen Welsh, recently undertook a very small study of how spiritual care is understood and supported within a care home setting.  The study took place in five care homes and we are conscious of the limitations within which the work was done but it does provide a good snapshot on which to build future work.

Some key elements which emerged were

·         the important role that is played by Activities Co-ordinators in enabling wider discussions during the process of a particular activity

·         recognition by care home staff of their own spiritual needs and that by doing so they are better able to identify and meet those of their residents

Helen used Koenig's 14 aspects of spiritual care as the basis of the study and the following is the list as prioritised by the care home staff participating

Personal dignity and sense of worthiness To find meaning, purpose and hope Continuity Unconditional love Rising above circumstances To love and serve others To forgive and be forgiven

Validation and support of religious behaviours Support in dealing with loss Engagement in religious behaviours Expression of anger and doubt Being thankful Feeling that God is on their side Preparing for death and dying

One of the other issues highlighted in the study was the role of care home chaplains which ought to be further explored. In two of the homes represented in this sample, there was an organisational chaplaincy role. This is perhaps unusual. More often, care homes are served by local faith groups who may involve themselves to a greater or lesser extent. However, this latter approach is less systematic, and much less likely to offer support to staff struggling with the emotional anxieties of the job.  Chaplaincy is now well established within the NHS and the lessons learned in that field would be a valuable resource for care homes in establishing their own support systems.

There is much food for thought and action in the report and our thanks to Helen Welsh for the work she undertook on this issue.  The full report is available on the FiOP website www.faithinolderpeople.org.uk

As always thoughts and ideas for follow up would be welcome

Maureen O'Neill

June 2015