Spiritual Support for Prostate Cancer

Spiritual care is an integral part of the cancer treatment process. The care team at Cancer Treatment Centers of America strives to provide a universal umbrella of spiritual support for patients, family members and staff. We work to create an environment where all patients, from any faith, can be strengthened, motivated and inspired to utilize their faith, in conjunction with treatment modalities, to combat cancer.

Spirituality is an integral part of life, and research has suggested an interconnected nature between spirituality and healing. Cancer Treatment Centers of America focuses on the whole-person impact of cancer and how the cancer experience affects people physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Foundational aspects of spirituality include prayer, a sense of meaning in life, reading and contemplation, a sense of closeness to a higher being, interactions with others, and other experiences that reflect spiritual interaction or awareness. Recent studies by researchers found a striking correlation between good spiritual health and good physical health. Additionally, spirituality has been related to low fear of death, low discomfort, decreased loneliness and emotional adjustment among cancer patients.

CTCA attempts to provide you with the opportunity to explore the spiritual component in dealing with cancer, through programs and services available both to you and your family members. These programs include:

• New patient orientation
• Individual and group prayer
• Prayer chains facilitated by hospital staff
• Counseling by a faith representative of your choice
• Weekly interfaith worship and communion services
• Patient growth and support groups that focus on healing, faith and life
• Pastoral comfort and support
• Assistance with the development of advanced directives and/or living wills
• Family consultations
• Grief and bereavement counseling and referral
• Taped ministry
• Support with end-of-life issues and decisions
• Interface and communication with your local pastor and church
• Baptisms and other sacraments
• Telephone consultations with patients/ family members

Spiritual Assessment

If requested, a member of the spiritual care staff visits each patient within the first 48 hours of the initial admission. The purpose of this visit is to develop a relationship and rapport with you (and your family as appropriate). This visitation is essential to knowing you. The relationship and rapport session addresses your spiritual needs and issues. All assessments will be person-centered, respecting your religion, culture and age. Ongoing assessment of your needs is driven by your and/or family member’s willingness to talk and share.

New patients (first time admissions) are offered a voluntary group orientation session, which reviews the role of spiritual care. Handouts that describe the services available are offered. As noted, based upon your choice and identified needs, a treatment plan of care for you will be developed as part of the Master Care Plan. Spiritual care at Cancer Treatment Centers of America is divided into three main categories:

1. Contact: This consists of initial assessment, physician referral, nursing/other referral, sacramental service, pre-surgical counseling, post-surgical counseling, crisis intervention, family visits and consultation, group interaction, and determining your religious preference, if any.
2. Spiritual Issues: This deals with a wide range of topics, including your: body image, coping system, thought process, socialization, comfort level, ability to sleep, sense of well being, support system, and spiritual patterns.
3. Spiritual Care Intervention: This encourages and values personal exploration of spiritual issues, symbolic language, socialization issues, suffering issues, healing issues, death/dying, grief/loss, God/church, guilt/forgiveness, life values, and prayer support.

Cancer Treatment Centers of America serves a significant population of non-local patients. As a result, the CTCA chaplain becomes the primary spiritual care provider during the inpatient treatment period. A relationship based on trust and rapport is crucial to the success of the treatment plan.