- with Head of Residential Pastoral Care, Lois Haultain
We recognise the importance of emotional and spiritual well-being in enhancing a person’s quality of life. Our Pastoral Care service is available for all residents and their families to guide and nurture them through life’s changes – from residential care and beyond, providing a consistently reassuring presence.
For people of all faiths or of no faith, we help residents reconnect with what is important to them, their own identity, and their passions, to help them feel engaged, spiritually nourished, valued, and to give them a sense of belonging.
Pastoral care gives the person time and space to make sense of what’s happening around them. It’s about supporting the person to explore and find answers to questions concerning their life and circumstances. It is about supporting the whole person.
- How can pastoral care help families and friends?
Caring for the whole person means caring for their family too. They may be experiencing stress when their loved one moves into residential care. We get to know the family, encouraging them to partner in care with us.
As an example, the husband of a resident with younger onset dementia, Nancy, said: ‘I’m not a religious person, but I know the pastoral care team are there for me, supporting me through hard times. I get to regularly debrief with Kerrie, the local Pastoral Care Coordinator, which really helps me to process what’s going on for Nancy.’
Another example is a resident from the Coptic Orthodox faith. By working with the family and connecting with their community we were able to arrange regular visits from their local priest and community members, to sing familiar hymns with her in Arabic, her first language.
- Why is pastoral care such an important part of HammondCare’s services?
We believe in the value of every person, and that they deserve compassion and respect, which is echoed in our Mission statement. We don’t just care for what’s visible. This belief drives us to put residents’ holistic needs at the heart of what we do, to improve quality of life. It’s about providing relationship-based care, which is why we always encourage the involvement of family members. They already know their loved one so well.
Equally, we support our frontline teams as they deliver care on a daily basis, coaching them as we get to know a person. It’s a collaborative relationship – working together to find out what is important for the resident, how we can best nurture the whole person as a team.
I am reminded of when a resident insisted on staying in his room, and our concern was for his lack of engagement with others, and isolation. The care staff advised one of my team that even though he always declined going to Chapel, he would still sing the hymns that he could hear other residents singing, alone in his room. He was gently encouraged to join in and eventually came along to the Chapel service in his cottage and shared his faith with other residents.
The Pastoral Care Coordinator is often an important ally as a new resident settles into a new care home. Our job as a team is to ensure the people we care for feel special and loved. A resident’s family member recently shared: ‘The care staff treat Mum like she is the most precious person on earth. She especially enjoys going to the Chapel service and leading the singing.’
If you would like to know more about pastoral care services at your care home, ask to speak to the Pastoral Care Coordinator.
