LAUSR

Objectives : 1. Integrate not only the compassionate care at end-of-life chapter, but also the spiritual history to a deeper understanding of the individual’s dignity and legacy. 2. Intervene in a process of the individual’s spiritual needs and wishes along the life-limiting illness trajectory. Background : Families and professionals have recognized the need of the spiritual intervention, along with appropriate supportive knowledge and affirmation; however, there exists the lack of a standardized approach in helping individuals with life-threatening illnesses. The author describes ways in which spiritual care affects individuals seeking meaning and purpose of life at the EOL and offers suggestions to help patients express spiritual wishes during their hospital stay, aiming that these intervention methods empower counselors, chaplains and any palliative care team members to provide assistance, with a researched tool rather than mostly depending on each counseling member’s beliefs and experiences. Case description : First case of SCAD deals with the supportive key issues. This intends to help individuals to find a sense of confidence and to participate in the process. Individuals start with the 8 questions to ask from the mind and spirit dimensions. These questions are given indirectly in plain language, but deal with key issues – such as Life Stories, things besides the medicines and treatments, the self-understanding of a “living well” and a “good death,” and the inner-identity. Second case of SCAD deals with the issues for families and significant others regarding ‘how and what’ their loved ones care for during and after end-of-life passage, so that the patient’s spiritual wishes will be carried out accordingly - such as the family-gathering to make sense of the individual’s life, modification of the previously held perception about the individual and expression of a “goodbye” as an indicator of the individual’s “yielding to own spiritual values and beliefs.” Conclusion : In treatment of the EOL care, equally important is caring of body/mind/spirit. When focused on medical aspects of individual care, giving leaned attention on diseases rather than person, and in so doing, precious time is missed to care for other parts of the whole person. With SCAD as therapeutic and creative interventions, this spirituality-based tool will be helpful to a great extent to achieve the body/mind/spirit transcendence.