'Caring for the Human Spirit' Magazine Explores Suicide, End-of-Life Care
NEW YORK, Nov. 19, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As part of its efforts to mainstream the inclusion of spiritual care as a standard of health care, HealthCare Chaplaincy Network explores suicide, end-of-life and other sensitive topics in the latest issue of its new magazine, "Caring for the Human Spirit®."
The fall 2014 issue also tackles brain death—who decides to "pull the plug"?; and addresses the needs of victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, and of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) population.
Articles in "Caring for the Human Spirit" guide spiritual care providers and other health care professionals who support individuals and their families, as well as offer insight to consumers facing health care issues. The semi-annual magazine made its debut last summer and is available by free subscription and online at www.healthcarechaplaincy.org.
"'Caring for the Human Spirit' delves into very real, but often rarely-discussed, issues that health care providers and lay people face every day," said Rev. Eric J. Hall, president and CEO of HealthCare Chaplaincy Network. "Our goal is to prompt conversation and help people obtain emotional and spiritual support throughout life, especially during illness, injury and grief."
In the latest publication, Joanne L. Harpel, a world-renowned expert on suicide bereavement, calls suicide "a poorly understood, stigmatized, often taboo subject...it can be tricky territory." She spells out six things to know about suicide. Among them, grieving family and friends typically blame themselves and one another. According to Harpel, "It's very common to replay those final days over and over, desperately searching for an answer to the single most pressing question: 'Why?'"
The fall issue also builds on an increasing focus on end-of-life care as a national priority by recapping two recent advances: landmark findings by the Institute of Medicine that a palliative approach typically provides optimal quality of life for patients and families; and a new federal law, the IMPACT Act, which tightens quality measures for nursing homes, home health agencies, and other post-acute care providers. These developments emphasize the value of having conversations with loved ones about nearing death, and provide the beginning of a checklist for individuals to utilize when seeking end-of-life care for themselves or loved ones, according to the article.
"Caring for the Human Spirit" magazine is one of an array of HealthCare Chaplaincy Network's new products and services designed to meet a growing focus on health care practices related to the wholeness of body, mind and spirit. Other new services include "Chat with a Chaplain," whereby individuals facing cancer or other illnesses, or any types of circumstances can obtain professional counseling via phone or online.
About HealthCare Chaplaincy Network™
HealthCare Chaplaincy Network™ is a national health care nonprofit organization that offers spiritual care-related information and resources, and professional chaplaincy services in hospitals, other health care settings, and online. Its mission is to advance the integration of spiritual care in health care through clinical practice, research and education in order to help people faced with illness, suffering and grief find comfort and meaning—whoever they are, whatever they believe, wherever they are. For more information, visit www.healthcarechaplaincy.org, call 212-644-1111, and connect with us on twitter and Facebook.
Media contact: Carol Steinberg 212-644-1100 ext. 121 [email protected]
SOURCE The HealthCare Chaplaincy
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