Spirituality addresses the meaning of our lives…our contentment with our lives. It is a part of each person’s being. At the end of life it may be important for some of us to see that our lives have mattered and that we have made a difference. Spiritual peace can make death more meaningful and acceptable. At Talbot Hospice Foundation, our Hospice Chaplain can help hospice patients explore the meaning of their lives and find peace with who they are and with death.

All hospice patients and/or their family members and friends are offered the spiritual care services provided by the Hospice Chaplain and the staff of Talbot Hospice Foundation. Spiritual care is anything we say or do that helps the spiritual and/or emotional nature of a person for their enrichment and comfort. Our goal is to make patients and their family members feel at ease during this difficult time in their lives.

Spiritual care services are provided regardless of the patient’s faith or beliefs. The Hospice Chaplain is available to visit patients in their homes, hospitals, nursing homes, or in the Hospice House Guest Wing. Often the Chaplain spends as much time caring for the family as he does with the person receiving hospice care. In hospice, the entire family becomes the focus of care.

Some hospice patients have already addressed their spiritual needs and may not need the Hospice Chaplain, but the Chaplain is available throughout the process if the need arises. The Chaplain can work in conjunction with a hospice patient’s own pastor, supplementing that pastor’s role when needed. The Chaplain is available to visit with hospice patients and get to know them, pray with them, and to discuss any spiritual concerns that they may have. Visits are scheduled based on the patient’s wishes and state of health and usually last 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the patient’s wishes.