Do You Believe in Cancer and Coronavirus Miracles? Here's research.

Are miracles real or just wishful thinking when a good health prognosis is wanted? Healthcare worker have to be sensitive to patients' spirituality and religious beliefs regarding death journeys. As a hospice volunteer, I noticed that many patients held strong beliefs about miracles that were important to them when making decisions about their health care. What about you? Do you believe in miracles? If so, you have lots of company.

Progression of cancer is an important example of a healthcare situation that requires patients to make decisions about their treatment. How does belief in miracles impact patients’ decisions? A study of 158 patients with advanced cancer, whom oncologists expected to die within 6 months, were assessed before and after the visit at which scan results were discussed. Before the visit, religious belief in miracles was also assessed. 

Approximately 78% of the participants reported at least some belief in miracles, with almost half endorsing the strongest possible belief. Religious beliefs in miracles were highly prevalent and diminished the impact of receiving negative news of cancer progression. Assessing patients' beliefs in miracles may help to optimize the effectiveness of news received during discussions about scan results.

Kevin Swinks is a Maryland man hailed as a COVID-19 "miracle" survivor. He spent 30 days in the ICU and was on a ventilator three times while at MedStar Franklin Square where he almost died. With the help of his care team after 31 days, Kevin finally was well enough to go home and share his miraculous story. He says, "Life is sweet," and healthcare workers who took care of him say his story inspires them as they care for others.

Frances Shani Parker, Author
Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes is available in paperback and e-book editions in America and other countries at online and offline booksellers.

Frances Shani Parker's Website

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

Spirituality and Elderly, Black, Hurricane Katrina Survivors

Since the publication of my book, "Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes,” I have spoken to a cross-section of groups from healthcare, academic, and general public arenas. Clergy members have often been in attendance. As a hospice volunteer, I am careful not to impose any religious views on my patients, but patients do request counseling from clergy members about religion and spirituality.

I was reminded of this when I read some research about older, black, Katrina survivors. New Orleans is my hometown, and I am particularly concerned about the slow recovery progress, which I witnessed firsthand again during a recent visit there. As I stated in previous posts, elderly residents who have remained in New Orleans or who have evacuated across the country have often experienced difficult adjustments.

The research I read explored coping strategies of these older evacuees living at a retirement apartment complex in Texas. The study states, “Without exception, the findings indicate that this population coped with Katrina and its aftermath through reliance on a Higher Power.” It explains further that the relationship with a Higher Power was not necessarily connected with church membership. This is important because many people who are spiritual are not religious in the church-going sense.

These are the spiritual coping themes that resulted from a series of interviews with these older Katrina survivors:

“1) regular communication with a supernatural power; 2) miracles of faith through this source of guidance and protection; 3) daily reading of the Bible and various spiritual and devotional materials; and 4) helping others as a consequence of faith and devotion to a supreme being.” During traumatic times, spirituality clearly promotes emotional resilience for many.

You can read more about this University of North Texas study at this website.

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