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The importance of spiritual assessment when caring for older adults

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 September 2014

ANN HARRINGTON
ANN HARRINGTON*
Affiliation:
School of Nursing & Midwifery, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia.
*
Address for correspondence: Ann Harrington, School of Nursing & Midwifery, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia. E-mail: Ann.harrington@flinders.edu.au
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Abstract

There is a growing body of literature documenting the positive effects of both religiousness and spirituality on human health, particularly among those who are ageing or diagnosed with a life-limiting illness. These positive effects provide buffers to life's stressors such as those associated with mental illness, care-giver burden, substance abuse and social disruption resulting from war. An important aspect of health care for individuals of all ages involves completion of a spiritual assessment. This paper explores the concept of spirituality and spiritual assessment, which has many definitions in the literature, and also provides examples of assessment tools from theology, nursing, social work and medicine.

Keywords

piritual assessmentspiritual wellbeingspiritual distressspiritualityreligion
Type
Forum Article
Information
Ageing & Society , Volume 36 , Issue 1 , January 2016 , pp. 1 - 16
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014 

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