The Added Value of Spiritual Care and Support in a Terminally Ill-Patient and Family

Folaju O Oyebola, Yinka Ogunbi

Abstract

There are many challenges in caring for terminally Ill-patients among which include the social, emotional and spiritual distress. The spiritual care and support in a dying patient could be challenging to the carer, patient and family and often times the patients religious and spiritual and assessment and needs are not met. In some part of the world including Nigeria discussions around existential issues may be regarded as a taboo and a difficult for a care provider to initiate. The palliative care team offer to invite a chaplain is a new concept and unusual in government hospitals. This was the first time our palliative care team after spiritual care assessment involved a trained chaplain volunteer to support a patient.