Chaplaincy Care at End of Life Stage During Pandemic Surge

The corona pandemic surge called Covid 19 in 2020 ravaged the entire world and turned things upside down, making the normal become abnormal and also offering the world a ‘New Normal.’

Before the advent of the corona pandemic, there had been a thought in chaplaincy leadership at the chaplaincy innovation lab about what the roles of chaplains will be in abnormal situation, and how chaplains will offer care services virtually to care recipients and their relations they cannot reach out to because of traumatic or abnormal situations.

What a good foresight and foresightedness on the part of chaplaincy leadership. When corona pandemic surge bedeviled the entire world unexpectedly, the chaplaincy leadership at chaplaincy innovation lab was not caught unprepared or hands down, as there was a conception of how to use virtual technology resources to reach out to people in difficult situations to offer chaplaincy care services.

With the advent of covid 19 and its ravaging effects disrupting everything in the world, and many people dying on daily basis, throwing many people and families into grieving, mourning as they become bereaved become a matter global concern to practicing chaplains as well as chaplaincy leadership.

The partial and total locked down by various national governments to help flatten the curve of the pandemic complicated matters as resident patients in hospitals, staff of the hospitals could not be reached as relations of patients in the hospitals and isolation center could not be reached either.

People at the point of death keep on making clarion calls for them to talk to chaplains or requesting for religious and spiritual supports as they are struggling to cross over to the world beyond, then the reality of the concept of reaching out with care by chaplaincy leadership through virtual technology began to surface.

Practicing chaplains were restricted to their offices and departments and were only able to communicate with patients as well as their relations on phones and computers. Thank be to God for advance technology and for chaplaincy leadership who gave virtual care service provision a thought.

Many people who lost their loved ones during the pandemic surge, were not allowed to see or touch the dead bodies of their deceased ones neither were they allowed to attend or be present at their burials.

Chaplains received a lot of calls requesting for various chaplaincy services request from family members for their dying or dead relations such as:-

a.     Placing a rosary on the body and offer prayers before burial saying it is unfortunate the situation does not permit them to be at their loved one burial.  The chaplains were obliged to do as requested doing a conference video for family members to see on their phones or computers.

b.     Some family members requested for some services such as religious rituals, memorials or symbols before the burial of their loved ones. Chaplains will bring a small group of chaplains together in their offices or department to do just that as requested.

Chaplains’ care services do not end with the dying and the dead, family members and loved ones who are thrown into jeopardy, grieving, mourning and weeping over their losses also require to be cared for.

Restriction in movement and congregating or visiting makes it mandatory for chaplains who have been specially trained in bereavement, grieving and mourning reach out to bereaved family members with the needed chaplaincy care and services through virtual means.

Video conferencing has been found to be very appropriate and there are other soft wares that have been developed for hospitals and medical centers in healthcare sectors.

NB: It is no longer news that we have found ourselves in the new normal as covid 19 has brought to the entire world; what should be news to us now is how can we make use of virtual means, phones and computers to carry out chaplaincy care and services in difficult and traumatic situations that will not allow physical resources of chaplains.

Kindly give 3 examples of difficult situations that may warrant the use of electronic technology in offering chaplaincy care services by chaplains.

Are you interested in online professional chaplaincy training to enable you offer beneficial chaplaincy care and services, get registered at the prestigious chaplaincy institute – Prodam-J Chaplaincy Institute for adequate and proper professional chaplaincy education and training to make you outstanding among your equals? Call 08033072375; 09077515468; 08035092416 or WhatsApp – +2349050323309

Chap. David Mike-Jacobs CPC, CPST, BCC.

Professor of Anthropology, Certified Chaplaincy Educator & Trainer.

Blog: thechaplain1.blogspot.com

10^th Oct, AD2022