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 Spirituality is "…that part of each individual which longs for meaning, integrity, beauty, dignity, hope, love and acceptance." Vitas
Grand River Hospital offers a full-service spiritual care program, helping to meet the needs of patients, families, physicians, staff and volunteers. We encourage you to read more about our service and contact us whenever you need assistance.
Multi-faith worship spaces are available 24 hours a day, seven days per week at both the KW and Freeport Sites. These are for patients, and their family and friends to use for meditation or quiet time alone. These rooms can also be used for funerals, memorial services, and other ceremonial functions that patients may request.
Sanctuary locations are as follows:
- Freeport Site: 2nd floor, Village Centre
- KW Site: Through 3B corridor to the Grand River Regional Cancer Centre
Contacting spiritual care
If you would like the services of a spiritual care provider, call extension 2142 with less urgent requests, or contact the spiritual care provider on-call through the hospital switchboard (dial ‘0’ on a ‘house’ phone, or 519-749-4300 extension ‘0’). Through a long-standing volunteer on-call program, a spiritual care provider is available 24 hours a day for emergency and crisis situations. In partnership with the local Roman Catholic Deanery and St. Mary’s General Hospital, there is also a Roman Catholic priest on-call for Sacramental emergencies at all times.
The director of the spiritual care department is an accredited supervisor with the Canadian Association of Pastoral Practice and Education (CAPPE) and chairs the Ethics Committee of Grand River Hospital. The other full-time chaplain is a specialist with CAPPE, and several members of the on-call team have done clinical units of Supervised Pastoral Education (SPE) under the auspices of CAPPE. For further information on this organization and its evolution into a provincially-regulated College of Professionals, see: http://www.cappe.org/
Link with faith communities
From time to time patients desire a visit or administration of a religious ritual from their own spiritual leaders. At your request, spiritual care will notify your faith community of such desires.
Mindful that Grand River Hospital is a regional hospital and cancer centre that serves patients and families throughout and beyond the Waterloo Region, the Waterloo Region Record newspaper maintains an excellent directory of more than 360 local faith communities. It also offers a ‘Faith 101’ section that includes profiles of several faith traditions.
Myths and facts about spiritual care providers
(With thanks to members of the Waterloo-Wellington Hospital Palliative Care Team and Garth Wittich, Spiritual Care Provider)
Top 10 myths and facts about spiritual care providers (SCPs):
Myth: SCPs are not needed if a social worker is involved.
Fact: While SCPs and social workers have similarities, each discipline has its own scope of practice for psycho-social-spiritual work.
Myth: SCPs are the same as ministers and priests and can perform the same rites and duties.
Fact: SCPs are theologically and clinically trained clergy or lay persons who provide spiritual care to all persons without displacing religious leaders.
Myth: SCPs are fully qualified because of their previous work in a church.
Fact: SCPs require graduate theological education, faith group endorsement and two years of clinical pastoral education.
Myth: SCPs should only be contacted when clients have obvious or stated religious needs or interests.
Fact: SCPs can be contacted when clients are struggling to find relief from physical symptoms or feelings of distress, looking for hope or meaning in the midst of illness, and/or wanting religious support.
Myth: SCPs should only be referred to clients when death is imminent.
Fact: SCPs provide spiritual support through all phases of palliative and end-of-life care.
Myth: SCPs do not need or use formal assessment tools.
Fact: SCPs assess the spiritual needs of clients in various ways, including formal assessment tools.
Myth: SCPs work on their own and not with the team of care providers.
Fact: SCPs collaborate with the inter-professional team to support client and family-centred care.
Myth: SCPs try to change what clients believe by preaching to or trying to convert them.
Fact: SCPs respect the unique personal journey of each client’s faith and spirituality.
Myth: SCPs belong to all faiths or are not a part of any faith.
Fact: SCPs maintain endorsement by, and good standing with, a recognized faith group.
Myth: SCPs must keep everything that they are told confidential, like in a confession.
Fact: SCPs abide by civil law with regard to confidentiality and communicate with the inter-professional team to convey information that is necessary for the provision of client and family-centred care.
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