The United Grand Priories of

The Order Of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem

In the on-going appraisal for new avenues for the Saint Lazarus Hospice Association to expand its support for hospices in general, and end of life care in particular, the charity has established a new concept termed Spiritual Companionship at the End of Life. This has been identified as an urgent need through the researches of the Hospitaller Department.

The provision of psychological and spiritual support is a highly valuable, rare and difficult skill practiced in the Hospice and NHS sectors by a small number of talented carers. It is recognized that this skill is largely lacking in the healthcare system, and that support for patients during this final part of their lives is more often than not ministered by staff who have no more than goodwill and empathy to guide support them.

The Lazarus Care Foundation has been established as part of the Saint Lazarus Hospice Association family. Saint Lazarus Care has formed a collaboration with Saint Joseph’s Hospice to provide support for the research and establishment of an educational curriculum that will provide specialist training to improve the confidence and spiritual competence of staff engaged in the care of people approaching the end of life. This is specifically to care for patients’ spiritual needs, as defined in Advance Care Plans and the Liverpool Care Pathway, to allow patients with or without any religious persuasion to meet the end of life in confidence and a feeling of safety as far as their circumstances allow.

Lazarus Care and Saint Joseph’s Hospice are running a one day workshop, in the autumn of 2011, to establish the aims, skills required, teaching outcomes and fit into the NHS for a course curriculum in ‘Spiritual Companionship at the End of Life’ that will ultimately have CME accreditation. The workshop will comprise invited opinion formers, professionals, and practitioners skilled in the art from within the hospice community and beyond who have an interest in extending training in high quality spiritual care for people facing the end of life.

Funding for this project is being provided to the Saint Lazarus Hospice Association and set aside for the initial development work of Lazarus Care.