When someone you love is in hospice, you’ll meet many different people on the care team — nurses, aides, social workers, volunteers. For many families, one of these individuals comes as a surprise: the chaplain.
Who is a chaplain for? Why would spiritual care be part of a medical specialty?
Short answer: Chaplains are available to support anyone in your family — no matter how you feel about religion, in more ways than you might expect. And they can make an enormous difference during difficult times.
Two hospice chaplains explain how.
> Learn how to get started with hospice care.
1. Reconnecting to what has always brought strength
In hospice, spiritual care takes many shapes. It doesn’t have to mean religion at all: It’s simply a way for patients and families to reflect on what they’re experiencing, and what may help this time feel more meaningful and manageable.
Hospice chaplains will talk to patients and families about what has helped them get through earlier challenges in life. What brought them comfort? What energized them? For some people, this certainly includes faith. For others, it’s anything from family or a beloved pet to nature, music or lifelong interests.
“Sometimes people say, ‘I used to go to the beach when I needed to think,’ or, ‘I always found peace in prayer.’ It’s about remembering what helped before — and leaning on that again, in a new way,” says Christine Foster, a hospice chaplain at HopeHealth. “When everything feels uncertain, those connections can help us find our footing.”
2. Helping patients and families feel seen and accepted
In the world at large, the word chaplain has many connotations. If you have a religious background, it may conjure up an image of someone in robes quoting scripture. If not, it might sound intimidating or inaccessible.
In the context of hospice care, though, the simplest way to think of a chaplain is this: another form of emotional and mental support.
“We don’t bring religion,” says Denis Lynch, another HopeHealth hospice chaplain. “We honor where people are. We just show up as an open book.”
In fact, the heart and soul of a hospice chaplain’s role is to listen. It sounds simple, but it’s powerful. By feeling understood without judgment, patients and families often find comfort, calm and even renewed strength to face the end-of-life journey.
“When somebody experiences being listened to, accepted just as they are, there’s a freeing in that,” says Denis. “That’s the heart of spiritual care.”
3. Making meaning out of life and loss
When we near the end of life, certain questions tend to take center stage. What mattered most in life? What do I hope my loved ones will carry forward?
Hospice chaplains help you explore these questions in a safe, compassionate way.
“We talk about meaning-making — a sense that your life has mattered,” Denis says. “Sometimes that happens through conversation, sometimes through silence. Whatever door you want to open, that’s where we go.”
“You don’t have to have it all figured out,” Christine says. “It’s about remembering what has guided you before and finding comfort in that again.”
This process, often called spiritual integration, is linked to greater emotional well-being and a gentler transition at the end of life.
> Read: “She took the time”: A hospice aide’s gift, one patient at a time
4. Helping patients and families cope with uncertainty
Facing the unknown can stir up fear — of suffering, of saying goodbye, of what happens next. But just by naming our fears aloud, we can make them a bit smaller. By turning toward the experience, instead of away from it, we tend to feel lighter.
Hospice chaplains are trained to guide you through all of this.
“As chaplains, we try to be the person who can help carry whatever a patient or family member is feeling — fear, humor, peace, even silence,” Denis says. “You don’t have to fix it. You just have to be present.”
“People sometimes feel they’re supposed to have answers,” Christine says. “But it’s okay not to know. It’s okay to be angry, or afraid, or confused. Our role is to hold that space with you.”
5. Strengthening bonds among loved ones
Spiritual care extends beyond the person who is at the end of life, also offering support to family and close friends. It can be a way to make sure a loved one’s death not just peaceful, but meaningful.
“We help families honor what was important to their loved one,” Christine explains. “Sometimes we’ll talk about small rituals that reflect who that person was — reading a favorite poem, lighting a candle, using water as a symbol of renewal.”
Hospice chaplains also help families talk about the things that are often hardest to say, easing guilt or regret and allowing space for gratitude.
“Families carry their own grief and questions,” Denis says. “Part of our role is to create a safe space for them too.”
Research shows that when families have this kind of guided reflection, they often experience less complicated grief later on.
6. Finding moments of peace and joy
At its best, spiritual care reminds us that even at the end of life, joy and meaning are still possible. Which goes to say: A visit with a hospice chaplain won’t necessarily be solemn. It can be tender, funny or full of light.
“Some of the most spiritual moments I’ve witnessed happen when a patient’s dog jumps up on the bed for one last visit,” Christine says. “You can feel the love in the room.”
“I once bonded with a patient over Bruce Springsteen,” Denis says. “Whatever helps people feel human — that’s where healing happens.”
“There’s so much we can’t understand in this world,” Christine adds. “But even in the hardest times, hope and joy can still break through.”
Learn more about how HopeHealth offers spiritual support here. If you have questions about hospice care, contact us at (844) 671-4673 or Information@HopeHealthCo.org.