Ageing Disability And Spirituality

This collection examines theological and ethical issues of ageing, disability and spirituality, with an emphasis on how ageing affects people who have mental health and developmental disabilities. The book presents ways of moving towards more effective relationships between carers and older people with disabilities; ways in which to connect compassionately and beneficially with the person's spiritual dimension. The contributors highlight the importance of recognizing the personhood of all people regardless of age and of disability, whatever form it takes. They identify factors inherent in personhood and provide ways of affirming and promoting spiritual well-being for older people with disabilities. Valuable reading for practitioners in aged care, healthcare, chaplaincy, social and pastoral care, and diversional therapists, this book will also be of interest to older people, their families and friends.

This collection examines theological and ethical issues of ageing, disability and spirituality, with an emphasis on how ageing affects people who have mental health and developmental disabilities. The book presents ways of moving towards more effective relationships between carers and older people with disabilities; ways in which to connect compassionately and beneficially with the person's spiritual dimension. The contributors highlight the importance of recognizing the personhood of all people regardless of age and of disability, whatever form it takes. They identify factors inherent in personhood and provide ways of affirming and promoting spiritual well-being for older people with disabilities. Valuable reading for practitioners in aged care, healthcare, chaplaincy, social and pastoral care, and diversional therapists, this book will also be of interest to older people, their families and friends.

Disability and spirituality have traditionally been understood as two distinct spheres: disability is physical and thus belongs to health care professionals, while spirituality is religious and belongs to the church, synagogue, or mosque and their theologians, clergy, rabbis, and imams. This division leads to stunted theoretical understanding, limited collaboration, and segregated practices, all of which contribute to a lack of capacity to see people with disabilities as whole human beings and full members of a diverse human family. Contesting the assumptions that separate disability and spirituality, William Gaventa argues for the integration of these two worlds. As Gaventa shows, the quest to understand disability inevitably leads from historical and scientific models into the world of spirituality--to the ways that values, attitudes, and beliefs shape our understanding of the meaning of disability. The reverse is also true. The path to understanding spirituality is a journey that leads to disability--to experiences of limitation and vulnerability, where the core questions of what it means to be human are often starkly and profoundly clear. In Disability and Spirituality Gaventa constructs this whole and human path before turning to examine spirituality in the lives of those individuals with disabilities, their families and those providing care, their friends and extended relationships, and finally the communities to which we all belong. At each point Gaventa shows that disability and spirituality are part of one another from the very beginning of creation. Recovering wholeness encompasses their reunion--a cohesion that changes our vision and enables us to everyone as fully human.

"During the later years of life, many people devote energy to a process of spiritual awakening and self-discovery. Yet their family, friends, clergy, and the helping professionals who work with them are not always prepared to understand or deal with the spiritual concerns of their clients. Aging and Spirituality provides a unique, far-reaching overview of this long-neglected field.

This book examines ageing in the context of the many faiths and cultures that make up Western society, and provides carers with the knowledge they need to deliver appropriate care to people of all faiths. Chapters are written by authoritative figures from each of the world's major faith groups about the beliefs and practices of their older people.

Learn about inclusive religious practices from around the world! With a multidisciplinary and anthropological perspective, Spirituality and Intellectual Disability: International Perspectives on the Effect of Culture and Religion on Healing Body, Mind, and Soul takes a fresh, innovative look into the world of religious and spiritual practices for the intellectually disabled. Containing vital insights from the first strand on spiritualit and disability at the quadrennial conference of the International Association for Scientific Study of Intellectual Disability (Seattle, 2000), this book provides a framework for bridging the gap between science and faith. It explores the ways in which faith traditions, cultural backgrounds, and professional roles can help bring about a consensus about what spiritual health means within specific cultures and faiths and across disciplines. This informative book examines and provides cutting-edge information on: recognition of spirituality in health care defining and assessing spirituality and spiritual supports perspectives on intellectual disability from Judiasm, Islam, Roman Catholicism, and Native American spirituality creative models of community ministry and religious education liturgical celebrations with people who have severe mental disabilities

With sensitivity and compassion, this guide provides comfort and support for older people who are nearing the end of life, as well as their families, offering practical suggestions in dealing with pain, suffering, prayer and fear of dying. Original.

Using selected conference material, this text explores how well-being among the elderly does not depend solely on physical health but also on having purpose in life and ongoing spiritual growth, and offers guidance on meeting the spiritual needs of this age group and providing meaningful care and support.