Spiritual care
Information for patients, families and friends
This leaflet provides information about Spiritual Care, how it may help you with your illness and what services are available for you at Trinity.
What is Spiritual Care?
Spiritual Care can allow you to connect to something greater in life, so that you can reconnect to yourself
This reconnection can allow you to make choices based on your own values and beliefs. Being able to make these choices and to understand what is valuable in your life will help you to be less afraid of the uncertainties that life-limiting illness brings. Spiritual Care aims to bring a sense of peace and meaning.
Spiritual Care equips us with the safety, courage and curiosity to ask ourselves questions like:
what is the purpose of my life now?
how do I connect with something greater than myself?
what is essential for me to continue living my life and to prepare for my death?
who is my spiritual support?
how can I experience peace and be hopeful?
How Spiritual Care can help
The result of excellent Spiritual Care is that we feel connected to something purposeful and hopeful, even if we are in distress. We feel better-equipped to face uncertainty and change We have tools to connect to sources of peace, love, value and purpose. We can hold a realistic understanding of our situation and also maintain a sense of hope – and in situations where hope is lacking , we can find sources of comfort. Spiritual Care assists us in letting go and in finding forgiveness.
For some, connecting to something greater than ourselves may be through a faith or religion. For others, it is through connecting to the physical world – to nature, to the human desire to live life fully and to leave a better world behind for future generations. Yet for others it is about being connected to people –family, friends and animals. Connection reminds us that we belong.
Spiritual care makes use of conversation, sharing and storytelling , humour, scripture and practices from the spiritual, philosophical and faith traditions, ritual, prayer, meditation and simple human companionship
Spiritual Care at Trinity
Compassionate and skilled Spiritual Care is a valued aspect of Trinity ’s overall care for you
Our Spiritual Care is led by your values and beliefs. The Spiritual Care Lead is Nicholas Roddis, who is supported by a small team of trained volunteers. We are further supported by community faith leaders who are sympathetic and respectful to Trinity ’s core values and aims.
The Spiritual Care team can be contacted by telephone or email, and can visit you in the hospice and in the community
The Garden Room
The ‘Garden Room’ at Trinity is a shared spiritual space open to all. It is a space for reflection or prayer, to light a candle or read from spiritual sources. The Garden Room is currently only accessible to patients who are on the ward. We look forward to welcoming community patients and families back to the Garden Room once this becomes possible.