Spiritual Care: A Guide for Caregivers Read Online Free PDF Page A

meet the needs of those in our care, it is important to systematically assess spiritual needs. Most people will not
be as open as Helen.
    The most natural approach to assessment is simply to keep the
three spiritual needs in mind as you talk with a person you are visiting. Ask about relationships with church, family, neighbors and God. Follow up on hints that lingering anger or bitterness
may be preventing a person from offering or receiving forgiveness. Listen carefully for references to underlying guilt feelings or
fear of God's wrath. Discuss hopes, dreams and goals, as well as
encouraging reminiscence about meaningful past events and relationships.

    The purpose of a spiritual needs assessment is to determine the
nature of a person's relationship to God and other people, and to
give the person the opportunity to accept spiritual support. While
the Holy Spirit or our sanctified intuition may guide us into recognizing spiritual needs in some cases, we can't rely on that. Sometimes a more formal approach to assessment will enable us to
recognize deeper needs that may not be evident in casual conversation.
Observation
    The first step in assessment is observing the person and the context that surrounds the person. Use your eyes and ears to find
clues about spiritual concerns.
    Look around the room. Is the television on? Is it tuned to a worship service or the soaps? Is it just background noise, or does the
person you are visiting have difficulty taking her eyes off of it long
enough to talk? Is a Bible or other religious literature handy?
Does it look as if it has been read much? What other reading
material is lying around?
    Notice the pictures displayed. If you see religious art, what
does it seem to convey about God? Does the room seem warm and
inviting or stark, uncomfortable and disheveled? Do you see any
odd objects? For instance, when one pastor visited a church member, he noticed several small pyramids prominently placed near
the woman's favorite chair. When he asked about them, she explained that her son had made them for her and they conveyed
spiritual power. She then invited him to join her in sitting inside a
large pyramid in the basement. As he politely declined, he was
able to turn the conversation to her understanding of God.

    Explore the things you observe. Ask about the people and places in
photographs displayed. See if there is a special memory attached
to particular pictures. Ask about specific reading material, favorite
Bible verses, devotional guides. Inquire about the history behind a
unique piece of furniture or decor. For example, asking about an
antique pump organ in Henrietta's living room led her to reminisce about playing that same organ in the church when she was a
teenager. The good memories were clouded by the time she was
reprimanded by an elder for playing popular tunes on the organ
after church. She stayed away from church for many years and
bought the organ at an auction decades later.
    Note affect and attitudes. Does the person appear lonely,
depressed, angry, anxious or agitated? If so, is he or she on medications or receiving counseling to help -or might that be contributing to the problem? The side effects of some medications can
cause mood swings or depression; chronic depression can often be
helped considerably by antidepressants. On the other hand, some
depressions can be triggered by unrealistic guilt feelings or fear of
God's punishment. Don't assume that every emotional problem
has a spiritual component, but don't rule it out, either.
    Be alert to behavior that might indicate spiritual need. Does the person appear to pray before meals or at other times? Does he or she
read religious literature? Does sleep seem to be a problem? Does
he joke inappropriately? For example, on the night before his
open-heart surgery, Harold began telling jokes about hell and
remarking that he might go there-a loud cry for spiritual help!
    Listen carefully. Often