If you need emergency services, please contact 000
Are you feeling burnt out? Consider aged care respite.
Looking for a rewarding career in aged care and ready to start now?
View our current retirement living homes for sale.
Search
Contact Us
Close
Services to keep you independent
Government-funded support
One on one care and support
Support to help you stay at home
Allied health support services
Everyone deserves a break
Government or privately funded
Connect with others
Help to access support services
Personalised care and support
14 locations across Victoria
Principles of Montessori
Tailored to individual interests
Helping everyone adjust
If you care for someone, we’re here
Maintain your quality of life
Here for people of all ages
Take a break and have some fun
All your questions answered
Independent living for over 55s
Our latest properties available
Inner Melbourne communities
Camberwell
Deepdene
Kew
Hawthorn
Toorak
Suburban communities
Clayton
Kyneton
Trentham
Eltham
Bacchus Marsh
Pakenham
Balwyn
Brunswick West
Greensborough
Torquay
Everyone deserves a home
services for 18+
Great places to call home
Reach your developmental goals
Pathways to paid employment
Small group programs
Stay independent at home
Get the best out of your NDIS plan
support for 13-18 year olds
Reach developmental goals
Fun programs for your teenagers
NDIS planning
programs for 0-12 year olds
Support for developmental delays
Fun programs for your kids
A school where your child can shine
About St Paul’s College
Prepare your child for school
View our for school policies
Commited to the safety of your child
Menu
Back
Enter your search term below
20 October 2020
Spirituality is about what gives us a purpose to our lives. It is about our sources of meaning and hope, which in turn is intimately related to our connectedness to ourselves, to others and to the world.
When the time comes to move into an aged care residence, there are many things to consider. Location, amenities, are reputation are some of the first things you might want to know about. But what about your spiritual needs?
Meaningful Ageing Australia (Meaningful Ageing) is the Australian national peak body for spiritual care and ageing and is made up of member organisations.
Ilsa Hampton has been the CEO of Meaningful Ageing Australia for four years.
“We want to ensure that older people’s spiritual needs are being met, and we provide practical resources for providers, to show them how they can do that,” says Ilsa.
Meaningful Ageing was first formed in 2013, the idea for the organisation coming about through engaging with those who worked with older people and saw the benefit of a support resource for spirituality. Meaningful Ageing hit their stride in the last few years, and whilst they are still relatively small, in the last four years, they have gone from 26 members to 111. And they are looking forward to continuing to grow.
“Our initial goal was to help people find service providers that will value them as a whole person and to build spiritual literacy and empower older people.
“What we then uncovered was this real gap in older people’s lives around feeling well regarded, well connected and well understood. Even by their own families and communities. In life right now, some older people are saying “my family don’t even know what I am interested in, or some of my big life stories.”
“We published additional material to equip people to have those interesting and deeper conversations, hopefully in a fun way, but adding something to their lives and relationships.”
Meaningful Ageing also published a list of Top 10 Questions for Aged Care, to help older people get past the shiny foyers, websites and promises from providers. The aim was to build spiritual literacy and empower older people.
Ilsa says these questions aren’t necessarily about providers having the perfect answer, but how they respond.
“Do they try to fob you off, are they uncomfortable, or do they actually engage? If they don’t have the answer that’s ok, they can consider your questions and get back to you. You need to look, listen and get a feel of the quality of the relationships between the staff and older people.”
Ilsa says her vision for the future is that every engagement a person has with a service is one that leaves them walking away feeling like they were profoundly understood.
“It is important for our spirituality as we age that we have a chance to reflect, to have a sense of legacy, and to be seen as a whole person. If these needs are met, the inner self will then become stronger, even as we become physically weaker.
Top 10 Questions for Aged Care
1. How will you support me to maintain connections and relationships? 2. What do you do to support a good transition? 3. How is spirituality understood here? 4. How is spirituality integrated in what you offer? 5. What opportunities will I have to reflect on my legacy? 6. How will you find out about my sources of hope? 7. How will my sources of hope be supported? 8. Who is available to be with me if I’m struggling? 9. How many different staff will be working with me? 10. Are you a member of Meaningful Ageing Australia?
More news articles in Mission
Locating the information you need has become far easier with our useful guide. Answer a few simple questions and you will be on your way.
Not sure where to start?
Contact us
→
Who needs our services?
Our Digital & Marketing Agency - ID Digital Agency
Locating the information you need has become far easier with our useful guide.
Answer a few simple questions and you will be on your way.