Marijke Wulp, beleidsmedewerker bij Agora, heeft tijdens het EAPC-congres in Wenen een poster gepresenteerd over competenties spirituele zorg met de titel 'Which competencies do care givers need for providing spiritual care?'
Welke competenties hebben zorgverleners nodig om spirituele zorg te kunnen bieden? Onderzoek naar kennis, vaardigheden en houding t.a.v. het herkennen van spirituele behoeften, het bieden van passende ondersteuning en goede verwijzingen naar en samenwerking met geestelijk verzorgers heeft een discussiestuk over competenties spirituele zorg opgeleverd.
De poster is op 9 mei 2009 gepresenteerd tijdens het congres 'Committed to People' van de EAPC (European Association of Palliative Care).
Abstract - Which competencies do care givers need for providing spiritual care?
Kuin A1, Wulp M1
1Agora, National Support Centre for Palliative Care, Bunnik, Netherlands
In the Netherlands there are several initiatives aimed at the structural embedding of spiritual care in end of life care. In 2008 a directive Palliative spiritual care was presented and the Expert Network on Existential Issues and Older People was founded. Approximately 20 out of the 74 Networks of Palliative Care, responsible for the development of palliative care, pay explicit attention on the improvement of spiritual care. Both by developing education programs on spiritual care, as well as establishing support teams where patients and care givers can request for a spiritual care professional at home.
Aims: Further development of the education on spiritual care, by education programs as well as structural embedding in the basic training of care providers, is urgent as is agreed by the members of he National Platform Palliative Care; a group of representatives of a large number of important organizations for palliative care in the Netherlands, including the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport. For the further development of a coherent offer of education programs on the long term, it is important to agree which competencies both informal and professional care givers need to provide adequate spiritual care.
Methods: In this study it is investigated which competencies in knowledge, skills and attitude are needed, concerning the recognition of spiritual needs, the provision of adequate support, and proper reference and co-operation with spiritual care professionals. For this purpose literature, teachers and key persons on spiritual care, and representatives of the National Platform Palliative Care will be questioned on the competencies they think are important. In expert meetings the minimum set of competencies will be discussed for the different disciplines involved in palliative care.
Results: At the EAPC conference the results of this investigation will be presented.