Regional Australia set to be the stage for spiritual care training

This first round of seminars will be rolled out to 17 regional centres in Western Australia, Northern Territory and Queensland will be the first regional Australian regions targeted for the program, which will run from February – June 2018.

The seminars are open to all other aged care services and volunteers as well as community members who may be interested in the sessions.

Meaningful Ageing Australia Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Isla Hampton says the seminars are targeting regional Australia as they offer some of the best aged care in the nation.

“Due to the tyranny of distance, regional Australia sometimes misses out on the best education available in metropolitan areas, so there is definitely a need for this education in regional Australia,” Ms Hampton explains.

“We are delighted to partner with Prime Super to make this possible…[and] many of our members are excited about the opportunity to host a session for their staff.

“The beauty and challenge of contemporary spiritual care gives staff the opportunity to engage with what it means to integrate spiritual care from within their own situation, personally as well as professionally.”

Topics on offer by the course include:

• Introduction to spirituality and contemporary spiritual care in aged care
• Acknowledging diversity (ours and others’)
• Spiritual conversations
• Supporting older people in the transition to aged care
• Death, Dying and Hope – conversations about end of life
• Responding to loss and grief
• Family or Resident Conversations

Also available by request to Meaningful Ageing is a seminar in Understanding Islam and Muslim spirituality to assist care providers to understand the care needs of Muslims and their families and respond in a culturally appropriate and respectful manner.

A number of educators for the seminars are available, including Ms Hampton herself.

Prime Super CEO Lachlan Baird has shared his enthusiasm about the new partnership and what it will offer to the regional aged care services.

“We [Prime Super] have a strong focus on providing the best retirement possible for members in regional Australia,” he says.

“Improved knowledge on spirituality and caring for our older Australians adds to that experience for people so we are delighted to assist by sponsoring the initiative.”

A list of confirmed dates and locations is available online.

For more information about attending the seminars, or to register, visit https://meaningfulageing.org.au/meaningful-ageing-series/