We all have spiritual needs. However, as we get older, maintaining our spiritual needs is more important than ever. Aging can bring with it many questions about life and mortality. Therefore, spiritual care can play a pivotal role in the lives of aged care residents, helping them navigate the challenges associated with aging.

However, there is currently no dedicated funding for spiritual care in aged care. This is despite the fact that spiritual care is funded for palliative care, prisons, schools and the defence force. Aged care advocates are calling on the government to fund spiritual care services for aged care facilities and home care services to ensure the spiritual needs of older Australians are met.

So what is spiritual care and what are the benefits?

What is spiritual care?

Spiritual care supports the emotional wellbeing of older people, providing their lives with meaning, hope, and connection. Spirituality is integral to but not confined by religion or faith. Spiritual care is not necessarily affiliated with a particular religion or ideology but responds to the human need to have a connection to ourselves and something greater than ourselves. Spiritual care encompasses all the ways in which attention is given to the spiritual dimensions of life.

Spiritual care is provided by expert, trained practitioners. It is very personal and can look different for each person, as we all fulfill our spiritual needs in different ways. However, common forms of spiritual care include:
• Presence
• Conversations
• Ritual
• Ceremonies
• Meditation
• Sharing of sacred texts and resources.

Spiritual care is usually offered in a one-to-one relationship, is person centered and makes no assumptions about personal conviction or life orientation.

What are the benefits of spiritual care?

The benefits of spiritual care for aged care residents are numerous and significant. They include:

• Increasing sense of belonging: Spiritual care can help aged care residents to feel more connected and reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness.
• Providing comfort: Spiritual care can help residents feel supported when experiencing pain or emotional turmoil.
• Building resilience: Spiritual care can help to build resilience to tackle the challenges that are associated with aging.
• Providing meaning: Spiritual care can allow residents to find meaning in their hopes and fears.
• Encouraging reflection: Spiritual care can lead to a life lived with greater intention and satisfaction.
• Helps maintain spiritual life: Aged care residents may struggle to maintain the spiritual life they had earlier in life. Spiritual care can assist with this.

What challenges do aged care facilities face in offering spiritual care?

Aged care facilities may face numerous challenges in offering spiritual care. These include:
• Diversity of beliefs: Any aged care facility will comprise of residents with diverse spiritual and religious beliefs. Aged care facilities also include residents with various cultural backgrounds including first nations communities. Therefore, incorporating spiritual care into aged care facilities requires careful navigation to maintain inclusivity.
• Funding constraints: As spiritual care is not currently funded, most aged care facilities pay for spiritual care services out of their surplus. Therefore, with many aged care facilities running at a loss or experiencing financial challenges, offering spiritual care is increasingly difficult.
• Shortage of staff: Many aged care facilities are understaffed, which may limit their ability to provide spiritual care.
Aging can bring many challenges. Therefore, it’s more important than ever to tend to our spiritual needs as we age.

A career in aged care can be highly rewarding, providing the opportunity to help residents navigate the challenges associated with aging. If you are looking for a career in aged care, Aged Care Resumes can help. We are pleased to offer various services, including our aged care resume and selection criteria writing service.

Article References

Aged Care Guide (n.d) ‘Importance of spiritual health in aged care’, Aged Care Guide, accessed 17 January 2025.

Meaningful Aging Australia (17 December 2024) ‘Discussion Paper: Funding of Spiritual Care in Aged Care‘, Meaningful Aging Australia, accessed 17 January 2025.

Spiritual Care Australia (n.d) ‘What is spiritual care?’, Spiritual Care Australia, accessed 17 January 2025.

Wood, E (17 January 2025) ‘Prisons get funding for spiritual care but elderly in aged care miss out’, The Senior, accessed 17 January 2025.