Spiritual Support

For all its difficulty, human illness can also be a call to deeper faith and hope. Supporting the entire person, including providing resources for spiritual needs for inpatients, has also been central to Lourdes’ mission.

Lourdes hospitals in Camden and Burlington offer a number of options for patients of faith or seeking solice:

• A Pastoral/Spiritual Care Office each of the hospitals coordinates for patients the worship/religious/well-being resources listed below. The staff of these offices endeavors to identify and meet the needs of all religious traditions represented by patients in the medical centers. These offices can also assist patients with advance directives.
• Chapels at both hospital sare located on the first floor, off the main lobby and have regular services. Schedules for services are posted at the chapel or are available from the staff or by calling the Pastoral/Spiritual Care Office.
• Chaplains are available every day, and the may be called for special needs in evening and night hours. Lourdes chaplains serve all patients, regardless of faith tradition
and spiritual experience. They respect and support patients and families of all denominations. The interfaith chaplain team works daily to evoke and encourage the faith within us all. Lourdes chaplains can provide bedside visits, the comfort of the scripture and a healing hand on the brow,as part of this ministry.
• Clergy from area Catholic, Protestant, Jewish and Islamic congregations visit the hospitals regularly. For help from one of these clergy members or assistance in arranging support from a specific clergy member — priest, minister, rabbi, imam or other clergy member — patients or family members are welcome to contact the Pastoral/Spiritual Care Office. With permission, the office also can notify the patient’s home faith community about the patient’s hospitalized.
• Lay chaplain assistants — who are volunteers of all faiths specially trained in pastoral ministry — also offer bedside prayer
and support to help patients and family members draw on spiritual resources during care.
  General hospital volunteers are also oriented toward the spiritual role, sometimes offering to pray with patients or simply spend supportive time with them.

• Patients may view mass and other televised religious programs from their bedside TVs.
• For Catholic patients, Eucharist ministers from local parishes distribute Holy Communion daily upon request. Hospital chaplains also offer the Sacrament of the Sick, also called the Anointing of the Sick, which is intended as a means to strengthen all those who are ill. They also make Reconciliation available to patients. An ecumenical laying on of hands and anointing with oil is available for Christians of other denominations.

• Lourdes periodically holds special events, such as musical concerts, that provide spiritual support. It also partners with WXPN’s Musicians On Call program to bring recorded and live music to patients’ bedsides.
• Lourdes offers a range of Wholistic therapies that help patients relax and improve their sense of well being. These approaches include massage, energy therapies, aromatherapy, therapeutic touch, integrated imagery and more.

If the staff determines that a patient’s condition has become terminal, all Lourdes caregivers become especially sensitive to the individual’s personal needs and requests for visitation with family and friends. Especially in such cases, all members of the staff will witness deep concern for the patient’s welfare as well as support for the family.

1-888-LOURDES