Emotional and spiritual support
Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District is focussed on providing holistic patient-centred care. The Chaplaincy service is an integral part of this.
The Chaplaincy team is available to provide emotional and spiritual support for staff, patients and their visitors. This support is available for people of all beliefs and none, as well as varied faith denominations. The team can offer care at times of spiritual distress, confusion, loss or celebration.
Chaplains maintain the NSW Health Code of Conduct. They do this with integrity, including non-judgemental presence, respect and confidentiality.
The Hospital Chaplaincy team is available to:
- Listen to emotional and spiritual experiences
- Explore questions of meaning, belief, values and ethical concerns
- Support when facing grief, loss and change
- Accompany people to family meetings or health consultations
- Respond to requests for prayer, readings, rituals, sacraments and faith requests
- Celebrate life events, like births, marriages and recoveries
- Provide spiritual resources, cards, texts, meditations and music.
Chaplains can be alongside you to support you through many situations, including:
- Feeling anxious about what is happening to you
- Uncertainty about what is wrong, or what is going to happen in the future
- Missing your home, family and friends
- Feeling frustrated and upset
- Your need for trauma-informed care
- Wanting company and fellowship
- Unpacking existential questions
- Supportive prayer
- And more…
Multi-faith support
The Chaplaincy Service has Chaplains with different backgrounds, cultures and languages, including Macedonian and Aboriginal Chaplains.
Hospital staff can also reach out to leaders and/or members of many faith denominations and beliefs to coordinate a wide range of supports, including:
- Spiritual rituals
- Bedside services
- Chapel services
- Sacraments
- Sacred text reading.
Please ask one of the ward staff - they will be glad to arrange this for you.
How to access services
Multi-faith spaces
Multi-faith spaces are for everyone. These can be used for prayer, the reading of sacred texts, quiet contemplation, or services.
- Bulli Hospital Reflection Room - second floor.
- Shoalhaven Hospital Chapel - lower ground floor, slightly right of the bottom of the staircase.
- Wollongong Hospital Chapel - Loftus St entry level 1, pass Reception (on your left) and follow the signs in the hallway.
Ward visits
Chaplains regularly visit hospital wards and are available to come and listen to patients, and talk things through at any time.
If you would like to meet a Chaplain during your time in hospital, please ask one of the ward staff. They will be glad to arrange this for you.