Cómo un capellán de cuidados paliativos puede brindarle apoyo a usted y a su familia.
Whether you’re living with a serious illness or caring for someone who is, a diagnosis can change a lot about daily life. Between the shock of the news, doctor appointments, and treatment, everything can feel overwhelming. And on top of that, you may also find yourself asking big questions: Why is this happening? What’s going to happen next?
It’s a lot to carry, and you don’t have to do it alone. Palliative care chaplains are there to help with these questions and more. They’re there to listen and support you, helping you explore what matters most in your life—even if you don’t consider yourself religious or spiritual.
What is a Chaplain?
A chaplain is a member of the equipo de cuidados paliativos who offers spiritual and emotional support to patients and their families. They work alongside the team’s doctors, nurses, and social workers to provide an extra layer of support. They can help you explore what matters most to you, whether that’s your relationships, your beliefs, your sense of purpose, or your hopes for the future.
Chaplains are trained to listen, offer support, and provide a safe place to share what’s on your mind. They have specialized training and are board-certified to support people living with serious illness and work closely with the rest of your care team. If they notice a concern that needs attention, such as a symptom you mention, they can share it with another member of your team.
How a Chaplain Can Help You
A chaplain can help by being someone you can talk to about just about anything. That might be why this is happening to you, a favorite memory, or a hard decision or conversation you’re facing. It might be how you’re feeling, whether scared, angry, sad, alone, or overwhelmed. Or you may simply want company. There’s nothing too big or small to talk about.
A chaplain’s goal is to get to know you as a person, listen, and offer support. They’re there to help you feel seen and heard.
Chaplains Will Support You Regardless of Your Beliefs
You don’t need to be religious to meet with a chaplain. They are trained to work with people of any faith, as well as those who don’t identify with a religion. They will meet you wherever you are and may ask about your beliefs and background so they can support you in the way that feels right to you.
If prayer or other religious practices are important to you, a chaplain can incorporate them into your care. If you’d like a visit from your own religious leader, such as a priest, rabbi, or imam, the chaplain can help arrange one with your permission.
A palliative care chaplain won’t push their own beliefs on you or try to change yours.
How to Ask for a Chaplain
If your palliative care team has a dedicated chaplain, you may meet them during a family meeting with your care team. If you haven’t met them yet or would like to meet with them again, just ask your team.
If your palliative care team doesn’t have a chaplain, you can still ask them for spiritual support. They may be able to arrange a visit from a chaplain at the hospital or from your community.
If you don’t have a palliative care team yet, tell your doctor you’re interested in palliative care, or find a palliative care provider near you.
¿Qué son los cuidados paliativos?
Cuidados paliativos is specialized medical care for people living with a serious illness. This type of care is focused on providing relief from the symptoms and stress of the illness. The goal is to improve quality of life for both the patient and the family.
Palliative care is provided by a specially trained team of doctors, nurses, social workers, chaplains, and other specialists who work together with a patient’s other doctors to provide an extra layer of support. Palliative care is based on the needs of the patient, not on the patient’s prognosis. It is appropriate at any age and at any stage in a serious illness, and it can be provided along with curative treatment.
About GetPalliativeCare.org
ObtengaCuidadosPaliativos.org is an online resource for patients and families that focuses on providing information on palliative care from the point of diagnosis. At GetPalliativeCare.org, you can take a cuestionario corto to see whether you could benefit from palliative care and encontrar un proveedor cercano. The site is provided by the Center to Advance Palliative Care.
We would like to thank Rabbi Edith M. Meyerson, DMin, BCC, for her contributions to this blog. Rabbi Meyerson is a palliative care chaplain at the Mount Sinai Health System in New York City.
Please note: This blog post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with your health care provider about your specific care needs.
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