Dedicated to the well-being of our patients and their families
“Helping people draw upon their own cultural, spiritual and religious resources for wisdom, guidance, strength and healing as they journey through life stages.” (Canadian Association for Spiritual Care)
The professional practice of spiritual health care is an aspect of health care that focuses on addressing spiritual and religious needs that arise in response to an illness or injury. Spiritual health care is also applicable in situations involving upheaval, moral distress and natural disaster .
The hospital and health-care experience may raise questions around meaning and purpose in life and how to sustain faith and hope, especially when faced with illness or life changing events. In such times it can be good to talk with a Spiritual Health Care Professional who is clinically trained to value and engage diverse perspectives, and to provide spiritual and emotional support through the experience.
Professional spiritual health care is offered at
Kelowna General Hospital and
Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops. The key roles of the Spiritual Health Care professions include:
- Provide comprehensive spiritual health and emotional support services to patients, families, and health care staff in a manner that is appropriate, according to their expressed wishes and respectful of religious and cultural diversity.
- Contribute to formal and informal consultation to staff and physicians on spiritual and religious care matters.
- Liaise with spiritual, religious and cultural groups in the community to facilitate religious rites, rituals and services for persons requiring faith specific support.
- Provide leadership to spiritual health and faith-based community visitors.
Other Interior Health hospitals may offer limited cultural, religious, and spiritual support through community based volunteers.
You may be asked at the time of admission if you wish to identify your religion or faith affiliation for the purpose of a visit.