Expressions of Prayer in Residential Care Homes

Abstract

Although the value of spiritual care in the care of older adults is supported by research, few studies have focused specifically on prayer in residential care settings. This ethnographic study with fifteen chaplains and administrators in eleven residential care homes involved analyses of walking interviews and research diaries. Findings revealed the spaces in which prayer happens and the forms it takes. The identities of chaplains—their own spiritual practices, religious beliefs, and positioning within the facility—shaped their dis/comfort with prayer and how they located prayer within public and private spaces. Where organizational leadership endorsed the legitimacy of chaplaincy services, prayer was more likely to be offered. Even in these circumstances, however, religious diversity and questions about secularism left chaplains ambivalent about the appropriateness of prayer. The results demonstrate the relevance of religion and spirituality to residential care, and illustrate how prayer functions as an opportunity for connection and understanding.

KEYWORDS:

• older adults
• prayer
• residential care homes
• spiritual care

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We are grateful to chaplains and managers who generously participated in this study. We also extend thanks to the reviewer for their insightful comments.

Notes

In this paper, we use the term “residential care” as is the common term in the region of this study. Synonymous terms are long-term care, care homes, and nursing homes.

In this article, we use the terminology of “chaplain”, though in some of the residential care homes this role was referred to as a “spiritual care practitioner” or a “spiritual health practitioner.”.

Notation as follows: P refers to participant number, S refers to site number.

Additional information

Funding

We are grateful for funding from a Trinity Western University SSHRC Small Institutions Grant.