Spirituality can bring meaning, purpose, and connection, regardless of a person’s religious beliefs. In later life, it can help people make sense of their experiences and ease distress. Providing spiritual care means recognising each person’s values and sources of comfort. For older adults, especially at the end of life, this support can bring peace and emotional resilience. Person-centred care that respects individual and cultural needs helps ensure what matters most to each person is honoured.
What I can do
Supporting spiritual wellbeing is an important part of aged care. This starts by:
- Recognising that spiritual care is a key part of holistic care
- Respecting that spirituality is defined by each person’s experience
- Being open to conversations about beliefs, values, and what brings comfort.
Understanding a person’s spiritual needs can help provide meaningful support. Try:
- Asking ‘Is spirituality important to you?’
- Using simple screening tools, such as asking ‘Are you at peace?’ or using the Distress Thermometer (206kb pdf)
- Offering to connect them with a chaplain from their religious faith if they would like spiritual support.
Other tools are available to assess and support a person’s spiritual needs. These include the:
What I can learn
The palliAGED Practice Tip Sheets give helpful guidance on supporting older people with spirituality and spiritual care near the end of life. There is a version for nurses as well as one for careworkers.
If you want to deepen your understanding of spiritual care:
- Complete the short online module on The essence of spiritual care from Palliative Care Australia (Free: Registration required)
- Access the Gwandalan eLearning modules to learn about spiritual care for older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (Free: Registration required).
Watch short videos that offer valuable insights into spiritual care in aged care:
What I can give
If an older person, their family or carer wishes to learn more about spiritual care, these resources from Palliative Care Australia may help:
What I can suggest
A supportive spiritual care environment enhances the wellbeing of people in aged care and may help staff feel more confident in meeting their spiritual needs. This can include:
- Providing opportunities for staff to think about what spirituality means and engage in their own spiritual reflection
- Compiling a list of spiritual care practitioners, faith representatives, and chaplains who can support older people and their family
- Designing the physical environment to offer spiritual comfort through lighting, sound, art, music, and natural elements like gardens.
Staff also benefit from dedicated training. You might:
- Recommend that staff watch these short animations (2-5 mins) from Meaningful Ageing Australia on the spiritual care and the Aged Care Quality Standards
- Run training sessions on assessing and responding to spiritual needs.
For further guidance, refer to the National Guidelines for Spiritual Care in Aged Care (831kb pdf) by Meaningful Ageing Australia.
Page updated 14 March 2025