Being spiritually ready for dying

Rev John Wonnacott

Palliative Care Chaplain - Macmillan Unit, Northern Trust

• Spirituality • Spiritual needs and making plans • Help with addressing spiritual needs

What is spirituality?

Spiritual needs

“In the end what gives a life meaning is not only how it is lived but how it draws to a close”

Baroness Tessa Jowell

Making plans

Sharing our plans and wishes

Who can help us with spiritual

needs?

• A trusted friend

• A spiritual leader from our own faith or non religious community such as a humanist pastoral carer

• A health care professional such as a GP, specialist nurse or a chaplain

The role of the chaplain

The role of the chaplain • To journey with us

The role of the chaplain • To journey with us • To listen

“The [person] who can be silent with us in our hour of grief, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face the reality of our powerlessness is the [person] that cares.” Nouwen, 1975

The role of the chaplain • To journey with us • To listen • To resource

• No matter our definition of spirituality it is always good to recognize that caring for our spiritual needs is just as important as caring our our spiritual wellbeing

• We all need someone to listen to our fears, desires, hopes and doubts

• Having a trusted person and/or spiritual or non religious leader with us on that journey can provide specialist pastoral support helping us with our spiritual well-being

“In the end what gives a life meaning is not only how it is lived but how it draws to a close”

Baroness Tessa Jowell