Multifaith Care for Sick and Dying Children and their Families
What do you need to know in order to provide the best possible care for sick children of different faiths? What, in the context of the young person’s faith, might it be helpful to know to support the child and the family, improve care, communicate sensitively and avoid causing offence?
Drawing on extensive, evidence-based research and practice, this practical resource addresses the multi-faith needs of sick and dying children and young people in hospitals and the wider community. Covering Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism, Judaism and Buddhism, it provides the key information needed to help multi-disciplinary healthcare staff offer the best, culturally-appropriate care to sick children and their families. The book discusses daily, palliative, end of life and bereavement care in a range of settings, including hospitals, hospices, schools and home. The information provided covers those aspects of the religions discussed that are essential for healthcare staff to understand, including modesty and hygiene, taboos, food and prohibited products, age-related issues, sacred objects, visitors, and the expectations of the family. It includes important information on the issues of disability and mental health in each faith as well as addressing the significance within different faith traditions of the transitions from childhood to adolescence to adulthood.
A comprehensive resource that uniquely focuses on the care needs of sick children from different faiths, this book will be of immeasurable value to multi-disciplinary healthcare professionals including doctors, nurses, bereavement support and palliative care workers, carers, counsellors, chaplains and arts therapists.
Drawing on extensive, evidence-based research and practice, this practical resource addresses the multi-faith needs of sick and dying children and young people in hospitals and the wider community. Covering Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism, Judaism and Buddhism, it provides the key information needed to help multi-disciplinary healthcare staff offer the best, culturally-appropriate care to sick children and their families. The book discusses daily, palliative, end of life and bereavement care in a range of settings, including hospitals, hospices, schools and home. The information provided covers those aspects of the religions discussed that are essential for healthcare staff to understand, including modesty and hygiene, taboos, food and prohibited products, age-related issues, sacred objects, visitors, and the expectations of the family. It includes important information on the issues of disability and mental health in each faith as well as addressing the significance within different faith traditions of the transitions from childhood to adolescence to adulthood.
A comprehensive resource that uniquely focuses on the care needs of sick children from different faiths, this book will be of immeasurable value to multi-disciplinary healthcare professionals including doctors, nurses, bereavement support and palliative care workers, carers, counsellors, chaplains and arts therapists.
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Reviews
...I was left a little in awe at what these people were managing to do. I was pleased to see Nash's statement that his team's work was not in the interests of some multicultural political correctness, but because they believed their paediatric patients and their families would get better care. This book has got a lot to offer anybody who works in palliative care in a multifaith setting, not just the chaplaincy team.
The book is full of cultural and religious helps that concern the entire healthcare treatment team from routine care to palliative and end-of-life care...the book is truly a resource for all bedside clinicians, including professional chaplains, nursing, medicine and other therapeutic specialty clinicians, too. Each chapter focuses on care for a child and family from each of the faith traditions. A Buddhist mother's reflection on spiritual and religious care needs during the premature birth of her twins was particularly enlightening and informative. Then in the final chapter, Paul Nash does a nice job of highlighting spiritual assessment tools and setting up spiritual care that is reflective of pathway care. This book will help new chaplains and seasoned chaplains who need a thorough resource and guide for pediatric palliative and end-of-life care, and the care preceding those difficult and trying times.
This is a well written book that is easy to refer to when needed and can be used by any level of chaplain or health care professional. Having been a chaplain for several years and worked and specialized in paediatric settings I found this book refreshing, educational and both uplifting and encouraging. I know I will be re-reading it again and again in my work.