For many of us, conversations about health and wellbeing naturally migrate to the mind and body. But what about the spirit? Spiritual health can be an important part of meaningful aging, and can help us to understand illness, change and provide a positive outlook toward the future. Spiritual perspectives and practices can provide a context where changes in physical and mental functioning may be faced and understood. At Christian Care Communities, we’ve seen firsthand that spiritual growth can make a positive difference in quality of life.
Taking care of ourselves spiritually can help us approach life more positively and build a resilience that can help us through many of life’s challenges, helping us to age more healthfully. Across different religious backgrounds, the strength we find from our faith is universal. Our faith has often been the anchor that reminds us that no matter what storm comes our way, we will not be broken or completely overcome.
At Christian Care Communities, we have full-time Chaplains on staff to support our spiritual care programs as a cornerstone of our communities. As they say, actions speak louder than words so we invest in the important matters of faith by having a dedicated chaplain in all our senior living communities. Our chaplains provide pastoral care and emotional support to our residents, which often consists of one-on-one visits where the chaplains provide an attentive ear and an encouraging word. Our chaplains also support families and staff and they encounter life’s journey which can be filled with both bumps and blessings as we all age.
Chaplains know that a person’s faith is made up of many different things: certain beliefs, spiritual practices, belonging to a particular community, and often a lifelong history of spiritual ups and downs. While a person’s faith may change or transforms over time, it still provides strength and stability. Learning of a person’s faith journey is part of what chaplains do.
Older adult residents are encouraged to engage frequently with community spiritual celebrations and religious services to enhance well-being and ease life transitions. Living your faith in our senior living communities includes:
- Chaplains to guide prayers, devotions and scripture study
- Comfort and support for families including hospital visitation
- Chapel services, celebrations and singing programs
- Life-plan counseling
We believe that spiritual health is an essential part of aged care. It encourages meaningful aging, relationships and connection, and can support seniors to be the best versions of themselves. Spiritual wellness can encourage the finding of meaning, purpose, connectedness and hope in the later years.
For more information on Christian Care Communities’ mission to promote Faith-Care-Family in our senior living communities, simply dial 502.254.4200.
