County Exclusive
Rev. David Janzen stands with his painting titled, Faith Encompasses the Earth.
Most people who deal with the spiritual and emotional needs of patients at the Northumberland Hills Hospital (NHH) agree there is a need for a chaplain at the hospital. So why isn't there one?
The answer to that is more complicated than it seems.
Rev. David Janzen, chaplain at the Golden Plough in Cobourg, has been fighting the battle for a hospital chaplain. He recognizes that the physical needs are well met at the new facility, but the emotional and spiritual needs are often overlooked. Most staff have little or no training in chaplaincy and no time to assist patients and families with their emotional questions in times of crisis. Local ministers do visit the hospital but are restricted by privacy laws to visiting their parishioners. Many people do not adhere to any particular faith, and do not want religious guidance. A small number of patients are adherents of minority faiths.
The end result is a large number of sick and dying people and their families who do not have qualified assistance as they work through difficult life issues.
The chaplaincy story in Northumberland goes back to the time when Cobourg and Port Hope had their own hospitals.
To read the whole story, go to Chaplain needed at hospital
No comments:
Post a Comment