Nir Golan spiritual caregiver

As a spiritual caregiver I specialize in preparing for the end of life, expressing fears and hopes surrounding death and what comes after, considering goals of care and improving communication with the medical care team, helping patients make use of their own spiritual resources, connecting to a sense of community and to the larger forces in the world.

As a spiritual caregiver I try to make the patient’s experience of illness better, even more so at the end of life, and to play a significant role in facilitating coping for the dying patients and their family.

I facilitate an authentic conversation with the patient about their spiritual needs:

1. End of life (fears as death approaches, their legacy, putting things in order before dying, wishes regarding end-of-life care, saying goodbye, end-of-life rituals, will)

2. Inner resources or resources between the patients and that which is greater than them (faith, calmness, meaning of life, key values, hope, prayer)

3. Significant interpersonal relationships (expressing their love, wishing to ask forgiveness, current spiritual status of family relationships, disagreements within the family about what comes next)

4. Dealing with the medical system and the medical treatment (how to return home, difficulties in communication with the staff, uncertainties about continuing treatment)

5. Changes because of being sick (losses, clarifying what is important to them so long as they are still alive, anxiety, depression, despair)

6. Looking back over the past (memories, achievements, regrets, missed opportunities, secrets)

As a spiritual caregiver I assist patients and family members in managing losses at every stage of the disease’s trajectory, coping with the stresses and adjustments, assessing and intervening regarding a broad range of patient and family needs, tending to family dynamics and enhancing positive communication between its members, seeking to make use of their social resources, and facilitating communication around care planning.