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Dreams for the second half of life
- Author:
- MOODY Harry R.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 45(3), 2005, pp.271-292.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Dreams in midlife and old age can reveal a process of spiritual growth described by Tornstam as gerotranscencence. This same process of inner growth has also been described in theoretical terms as self-actualization (Maslow), ego-integrity (Erikson), and individuation (Jung). The process is illustrated through dream symbols of transpersonal development, displaying the duality of self-fulfillment and selftranscendence. In lifespan development terms this process can be studied in detail in the autobiography of Helen Luke. The interpretation of dreams has importance for what has recently come to be known as “Conscious Aging.” (Copies of this article are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Centre, Haworth Press Inc., 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580).
Land of forgetfulness: dementia care as a spiritual formation
- Author:
- EWING Wayne A.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 45(3), 2005, pp.301-311.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
The author reflects on the spiritual dimensions of dementia caregiving. (Copies of this article are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Centre, Haworth Press Inc., 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580).
Autobiography as a spiritual practice
- Author:
- STAUDE John-Raphael
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 45(3), 2005, pp.249-269.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
In this article autobiography is defined as “a dialogue of the self with itself in the present about the past for the sake of self-understanding.” Spirituality involves connectedness to oneself, others, nature and to a larger meaning. It is associated with creativity, play, wisdom, faith, and a sense of oneness. Writing and reflecting on one's autobiography enhances spiritual growth and can be therapeutic freeing people from outlived roles and self-imposed images. After discussing the history of spiritual autobiography as a genre, the author compares and contrasts four approaches to autobiography: the structured life review, the guided autobiography, the intensive journal workbook, and autobiographical work in twelve step programs. For those who work with older persons these techniques should prove very useful. (Copies of this article are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Centre, Haworth Press Inc., 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580).
"Religion is the finding thing": an evolving spirituality in late life
- Author:
- EISENHANDLER Susan A.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 45(1/2), 2005, pp.85-104.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
This paper discusses some important dimensions of faith and of the social contexts surrounding faith that are illustrative of continuity and growth in spirituality in the lives of older adults. Examples of an evolving spirituality emerge in the analysis of a recent qualitative research study that probed the nature of religious experience among thirty-one community-dwelling elders and fifteen elders residing in long-term care facilities. Face-to-face interviews with these forty-six older adults and with seven people who directed or assisted with formal and informal programs of faith comprise the empirical base for this paper. The seven people (faithreps) worked in various ways in the long-term care settings to provide programs involving faith to older adults. An evolving spirituality is shaped by the older person's links to the structural and the socio-relational contexts that have been created through interaction in the past as well as through interaction in the present. Moreover, the interaction of older adults and faithreps encourages spiritual growth because as social actors engaged with one another over a sustained period of time in an institutional setting, questions and dialogue about life and its meaning are regularly evoked. The social interactions that foster spiritual evolution may be an admixture of the secular and the sacred. Such socio-relational contexts were once part of the naturalistic settings of daily life among the old, but now must emerge through the efforts and planning of others. The salience of faith among present cohorts of older adults sensitizes us to the necessity of devoting more consideration to optimal ways of strengthening and building contexts that are conducive to the evolution of spirituality. (Copies of this article are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Centre, Haworth Press Inc., 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580).
Religion, spirituality, and aging for "the aging" themselves
- Author:
- SIMMONS Henry C.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 45(1/2), 2005, pp.41-50.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
This article explores some likely characteristics of the particular and specific experiences of the relationship between religion and spirituality for cohorts born before 1935 by attending to three main points: (1) the word “spirituality” came into common usage in the 1960s, well after people born before; (2) for some in cohorts born before 1935 “spirituality” had negative connotations; (3) a definition of “spirituality” is possible that can express the experience of older adults and, at the same time, sharpen our current understanding of the term to include cognitive, experiential, and volitional elements. (Copies of this article are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Centre, Haworth Press Inc., 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580).
A survey of pastoral care services for older adults
- Authors:
- COLLINS Kathryn S., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Social Work in Long-Term Care, 3(3/4), 2005, pp.223-242.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- London
Within the profession of social work, interest in spirituality and in services to older adults has been growing over the last decade. This paper presents survey results of the impact of spirituality and pastoral care services on older adults' perceptions of well-being in one, community-based senior living facility. The study suggests that pastoral care and spirituality life may be important aspects in the lives of the older adults, and may improve quality of life. Based upon these results, implications for service providers are explored. As few tools exist for assessing this subject matter, the survey designed for this study may have value for spirituality and social work research. (Copies of this article are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Centre, Haworth Press Inc., 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580).
Definitions of health among diverse groups of elders: implications for health promotion
- Authors:
- DAMRON-RODRIGUEZ JoAnn, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Generations, 29(2), Summer 2005, pp.11-16.
- Publisher:
- American Society on Aging
This article reports on small American study which examined late-life definitions of health and explored the similarities and difference in the meaning of health for older people from several different ethnic groups.
Living with elder wisdom
- Author:
- BIANCHI Eugene
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 45(3), 2005, pp.319-329.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
This study is based on interview research with over a hundred creative elders. Their spirituality is explored through their life experiences as re-interpreted in later years. Spirituality is often expressed in “non-religious” language. They speak of inner empowerments: cultivating self-esteem, harvesting memories, transformative turning points, life-long learning, themes of humor and gratitude, and encountering mortality. They also explore outward empowerments: developing new purposes, welcoming possibilities, fostering more freedom, cultivating family and friends, forming intentional communities, and taking on larger social causes re peace, justice and ecology. This elder spirituality manifests important changes in their earlier views of religion. (Copies of this article are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Centre, Haworth Press Inc., 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580).
Caregivers' use of spirituality in ethical decision-making
- Author:
- KOEING Terry L.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 45(1/2), 2005, pp.155-172.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
This qualitative study examined ethical dilemmas faced by female caregivers of frail elders as well as the dominant role of caregivers' spirituality in addressing these dilemmas. Dilemmas are difficult decisions that involve conflicting values, e.g., freedom versus safety. In-depth interviews were conducted with thirteen ethnically diverse caregivers recruited from a home health agency and its parent hospital. Purposive sampling was used to obtain variation among research participants. Focus group interviews of home health staff, key informant caregivers, and interviewees provided guidance for the research design, reflection on findings and development of implications. In order to deal with ethical dilemmas, all caregivers used spirituality as (1) a philosophy of life, e.g., “This is what you do when you're family,” (2) an aid to decision-making, e.g., through the use of prayer; and/or, (3) a way to transcend dilemmas, e.g., “no choice is hard.” Implications include the importance of caregiverdriven assessment, professional self-reflection, and sustained formal services for caregivers. (Copies of this article are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Centre, Haworth Press Inc., 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580).
Postcards to God: exploring spiritual expression among disabled older adults
- Authors:
- BRENNAN Mark, LADITKA Sarah B., COHEN Amy
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 45(1/2), 2005, pp.203-222.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Postcards to God was a creative method to allow individuals to express their spirituality. The purpose of this study was to examine the validity of this innovative method. At a skilled nursing facility in a geriatric residence in the United States, 19 older disabled workshop participants created collage and message “Postcards to God,” and completed a brief survey. Postcard content and construction were coded and analyzed using qualitative methods around self-reports along two attitudinal dimensions: a) making a postcard to God; and b) level of religiousness. Spiritual and religious dimensions were related to postcard thematic content. Postcards were used for expressions of spirituality and prayer across all levels of self-reported religiousness. The Postcards project seems like useful way to facilitate spiritual expression. If validated in further study, this method may prove a useful way to promote spiritual expression in a variety of older and frail populations. (Copies of this article are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Centre, Haworth Press Inc., 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580).