The Hidden Value of Chaplains at End of Life

The Heart of Hospice Podcast

Chaplain Wes Moldogo is an advocate for integrating spiritual care into the care of patients, service members, and their families. As a chaplain for the military as well as hospital and hospice patients, Wes educates about the value chaplains bring to the care of people with life-limiting illness. 1 in 4 Medicare hospice patients is a US military veteran. That’s 25% of the patients who utilize the Medicare benefit to pay for their hospice care. Wes learned early how powerful listening can be, and how listening can be used to support people dealing with illness as well as their caregivers.

Wes educates about the differences between pastoral ministry and spiritual counseling (chaplaincy). So many misconceptions surround the work of a chaplain, even inside the hospice industry itself. Grief support, spiritual counseling, and bereavement support are all part of what a chaplain does. Chaplains support the personal faith beliefs and spirituality of the patient and the caregiver, even if those beliefs are different from what the chaplain believes. Chaplains are able to support any faith or spiritual belief systems. Adequate education is vital to ensuring that chaplains are providing care that focuses on the patient’s beliefs, and not the chaplain’s beliefs. Board certification and Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) are critical to the success of a chaplain.

If you’re interested in education in Chaplaincy, visit the Spiritual Care Association website or the Board of Chaplaincy Certification, Inc.

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