RT Article
T1 Nursing Homes as a Context of Pastoral Care:: Chaplains Encountering Older Adults Who Experience Existential Loneliness and Meaninglessness
JF Diaconia
VO 14
IS 1
SP 61
OP 90
A1 Saarelainen, Suvi-Maria
A1 Reimi, Johanna
A1 Ojalammi, Jonna M. P.
A1 Larsson, Helena
A1 Haugan, Gørill
A1 Dezutter, Jessie
A2 Reimi, Johanna
A2 Ojalammi, Jonna M. P.
A2 Larsson, Helena
A2 Haugan, Gørill
A2 Dezutter, Jessie
LA English
YR 2023
UL https://ixtheo.de/Record/1890091235
AB Earlier studies indicate that moving into a nursing home raises a variety of existential concerns for older adults. Yet less is known about how nursing home chaplains experience caring for these individuals. Based on an interpretative phenomenological analysis, the article examines how chaplains perceive their role in caring for older people in nursing homes who are experiencing meaninglessness and/or existential loneliness. Particularly, we analyze: How do chaplains encounter older people experiencing these existential concerns? And what do these encounters require of the chaplains themselves? The results show that the encounter requires intensive listening skills and a strong ability to facilitate person-centered interaction. We also found existential care to include tangible practices in the form of practical support and religious care. Emotional endurance is required to cope with older people’s various feelings and expressions.
K1 Pastoral Care
K1 Nursing Homes
K1 Existential Loneliness
K1 meaninglessness
K1 meaning in late life
K1 Chaplains
K1 Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis
DO 10.13109/diac.2023.14.1.61