SPIRITUALITY AND PALLIATIVE CARE: GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR HEALTH CARE PRACTITIONER EDUCATION

Critical junctures in patients lives such as chronic illness and advanced disease may leave a person in a state of imbalance or disharmony of body, mind and spirit. With regard to spirituality and healing, there is a consensus in the literature about the influence of spirituality on the power of recovery and the ability to cope with and adjust to the varying and demanding states of health and illness. Empirical evidence suggests that spiritual support may act as an adjunct to the palliative care of those facing advanced diseases and end of life. In this presentation, the speaker draws from his empirical work on spirituality and culture to develop a discourse on palliative care and spirituality in both secular and non-secular settings. In doing so, this paper offers some understanding into the concept of spirituality, spiritual needs and spiritual care interventions in palliative care in terms of empirical evidence. Responding to spiritual needs could be challenging but at the same time it could be rewarding to both the health care practitioner (HCP) and patients in that they may experience spiritual growth and development. The patients may derive great health benefits with improvements in their quality of life, resolutions and meaning and purpose in life. It is hoped that HCPs may find the strategies for spiritual support outlined in this paper serve as practical guidelines for developments in palliative care in South Asia.