Integrating Spirituality into Healthcare Plan of the Aged – A Case Study of the Agogo Presbyterian Hospital, Ghana

Abstract

Many older people are known to stick to their faith or become more spiritual as they age. Scholars have argued that spirituality increases as people grow older and get nearer to exiting this world. Thus spirituality plays a crucial role in the lives of the aged and provides the necessary support to navigate through this challenging phase of life. The aged cannot live a prolonged life of enduring challenges of pain and deterioration of health. Meanwhile, their natural adherence to their faith and spirituality remains a valuable asset to improve their wellbeing. How can their spirituality be improved to make their lives better and promote quick recovery from ill-health? Again, how can the healthcare system of the country properly and intentionally integrate spiritual care into the health and healing system of the aged? Quickly to add here is what appears to be a conspicuous neglect of what used to be a link between health and spirituality, a design by the creator. These emanated research into the role of health workers in Agogo Presbyterian Hospital in their care of the aged. Through an interview with these practitioners and a questionnaire designed for the aged in their care, an integration of health and spirituality became appealing. Although the facility has no structure in place detailing how spirituality is to be integrated into aged healthcare, it is on the surface being practiced for all ages. The nation stands to gain if the health and spirituality of the aged are well integrated since failure to address the spiritual needs of the aged during medical treatment can increase healthcare costs. Keywords: Aged, Health, Spirituality, Integration.