Spirituality is often a difficult concept for people to discuss. People who talk about health normally refer to physical and mental health. However, spiritual health is important and plays a large role in our overall health. Part of the reason for the ambiguity is the fact that it is hard to define what spirituality is. Here is how we care for your loved one’s spiritual well-being in senior living communities in Lutz, FL
Understanding Spirituality
Spirituality is a force that influences our actions and shapes our response to everyday occurrences in our lives. In this sense, spirituality is not tangible, but its benefits are very obvious. Many people draw healing and restorative benefits from their spiritual practice. For others, it gives them the strength they need to face some of life’s adversities. Spirituality also helps people to have a deeper understanding of themselves and often gives meaning to people’s lives. In a nutshell, spirituality gives hope and purpose to many individuals. It also helps to create a sense of belonging and gratitude. The latter is especially useful when facing adverse conditions such as ill health and much more.
How We Meet Your Spiritual Needs
One of the first steps in offering spiritual care to our residents is understanding that spirituality is different for everyone. This means that before you can offer spiritual care, you need to recognize how each individual defines spiritual needs and how they meet them. This is done non-judgmental and caring to ensure that all views are included in our approach. The other important thing to note is that any form of spiritual care must be done ethically. This means that regardless of the approach adopted, spiritual care must not violate the rights of your loved one under our care.
Making Genuine Connections
Spiritual needs cannot be met in a void, and people need to have genuine connections that are based on mutual respect. This foundation must be embedded at all levels of interaction, meaning that it can not just be an event or an activity that takes place in isolation from every other interaction.
Allowing Free Expression
Another main pillar of spiritual care is enabling individuals in our retirement community to express their spirituality in a way that makes sense to them. Expression of spirituality is not just verbal but could be in their activities, their interaction with others, and so on. The expression could take many forms. For example, to express one’s spirituality, some residents may forgo certain food items such as meat and other animal products. This must be respected across the entire organization. Another important way of expressing spirituality is through attire and so on. The key thing to remember here is that these expressions must also respect the rights of other residents in the retirement community. We have a team of caregivers who understand this balance and can give your loved one the care they deserve. At our senior retirement community in Lutz, FL, we allow for spiritual growth and offer your loved one support to allow them to enjoy the health benefits of a rich spiritual life.
