For many patients and families, end-of-life is a time for the observance of unique religious rituals and traditions that hold special significance for marking the passage from life to death. For those working in palliative care, such practices can represent rich opportunities for learning, but in many cases can also be the cause of conflict and misunderstanding. Religious observances can require special accommodations and may be viewed by medical staff as strange and possibly even harmful to the patient. Patients may feel intimidated by the clinical setting and unable to ask for the special supports they require for experiencing a “good” death, while care providers may lack the skills or knowledge needed for asking the right questions.
In a new study from the University of Victoria, researchers from the health and religious studies disciplines have teamed up to address the persistently sensitive topic of religion in hospice palliative care. Religious Understandings of a Good Death in Hospice Palliative Care, edited by Harold Coward and Kelli I. Stajduhar (SUNY Press, 2012), offers expert insights into the meaning of a “good death” within the major world religions along with practical suggestions for supporting religious care of the dying in palliative care settings. A compendium to the volume, Religious Understandings of a Good Death in Hospice Palliative Care: A Guide for Health Care Practitioners, provides a concise summary in 24 pages of highlights from the study and will be distributed by CHPCA this fall to member programs across Canada. For information on the project or to order copies of the compendium, contact the Centre for Studies in Religion and Society at the University of Victoria (www.csrs.uvic.ca). Funding for this project has been generously provided by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
Leave a Reply