Older Adult Religion and Spirituality (Research, Hospice Nurse Video 2:51)

Are most religious older adults spiritual? Are the most spiritual ones religious? Topics related to spirituality and religion can get very personal. That’s why many people avoid them. As hospice volunteers, we are advised not to impose our personal religious or spiritual beliefs on patients. Some people have daily spiritual experiences that are a core part of their lives. At the same time, they may have varying levels of praying or attending formal religious services.

When older adults come together and live in a community, they bring all their varied personal religious and spiritual beliefs and practices, including no beliefs and practices. Rush University Medical Center researchers studied the levels of daily spiritual experiences of 6,534 older adults living in biracial communities. These are the reported results of that study:

1)   Most participants had daily spiritual experiences. African Americans and women had more than Whites and men.

2)   Prayer and worship were moderately connected with daily spiritual experiences.

3)   African American race, older age, female gender, better self-rated health, and greater social networks were associated with higher daily spiritual experiences scores. Higher levels of education and depressive symptoms were associated with lower daily spiritual experiences scores.

Overall, these findings are consistent with other research findings on religion and spirituality in the lives of older adults.

As eleven-year-old Jayna Brown demonstrates in this video, many of these spiritual connections begin in childhood. She sings "Take Me to the King" by Tamela Mann:

Frances Shani Parker, Author

Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes is available in paperback at many booksellers and in e-book form at Amazon and Barnes and Noble booksellers.

Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog

Caregiving with Music Enhances Communication

Are you a caregiver? Do you sing? Do you enjoy playing music? If you answered “yes” to these questions, you have the ability to add vitality and meaning to patients’ lives, especially those who have dementia. Music and singing can uplift their spirits.

A study was done to enhance vocally expressed emotions and moods in the communication between caregivers and persons with severe dementia. Participants included nine nursing home residents with dementia and five professional caregivers. The presence of background music and caregiver singing enhanced the communication between caregivers and residents. Background music promoted playfulness. Caregiver singing improved sincerity and intimacy in their interactions.

How do these results influence you as a caregiver who sings or plays music? They support your efforts to provide quality of life for patients with dementia. Take the time to find kinds of music you think patients will enjoy. Let the magic play.

You can read the research that was reported in the “International Journal of Nursing Studies.”

In this video, Mary Peakes, a hospice nurse, sings "I Wanna Go" to patient Pamela Rucker, who died a few days later. Pamela’s daughter stated, “I want to thank all the hospice nurses. I am so grateful for these angels who helped my mother and her family through this difficult time.”

Frances Shani Parker, Author
Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes
Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog