Nourishing a Meaningful Life: Using the Map of Meaning in the Context of Ageing 

Meaning and purpose are two pillars of spirituality that can be most difficult to talk about.

This practical session is for anyone who is ageing; and for the aged care workforce.

Meaningfulness increases well-being, and health, as well as enjoyment of life within our ever-changing circumstances.  An ability to understand and be proactive through the various stages of ageing, including facing death and dying, helps each person fulfil their yearning for a meaningful life. Because the dimensions of the Map of Meaning are universal, it also provides a simple, practical way for those involved in caring for older people to examine existing practices and facilities to see whether or not these support older people to increase their sense of meaningfulness.

In this workshop, Lani Morris will present the Map of Meaning, and help you to understand and use the Map to increase meaningfulness in your own life, or those you love and /or care for.

Facilitator: Lani Morris

Lani Morris is a co-founder and CEO of the Map of Meaning International Trust. She is the world authority on the application of the Map of Meaning, a simple yet profound framework that shows us what human beings agree makes work and life meaningful.  This rigorously researched model has been used in many parts of the world over the past twenty years. It helps each person find and keep meaning at any stage of their life. A facilitator with over thirty years of experience, Lani brings compassion, wisdom, humour and practicality to her workshops on the Map.

Testimonials

“Lani has the ability to distil what could otherwise be a complex topic into very simple, clear and above all usable information.”  Drew Pryde, workshop participant.

“I learnt about the Map of Meaning eight years ago.  Since then, it’s in my body and it’s never left. It connects up our intrinsic knowing, our inner searching, and our inner desire for balance. So many people are lost and don’t believe they have what they need inside them. If you ever wonder what’s the point of my life? What on earth am I going to do? The Map of Meaning guides you to what to look for and what to look at so you can create your own answers.  It’s a compass for a journey you are going to make.” Penny Kennedy, course participant

Please contact Meaningful Ageing Australia if you are interested to host or participate in the Map of Meaning Workshop

Listening on Purpose

Listening is critical in every aspect of our life and work, and is central to spiritual care. Listening well prevents conflict, builds work teams and is essential for understanding each older person. In this experiential workshop, participants will learn how to:

• Listen to people’s stories so that they feel heard and valued.
• Listen using your body and heart.
• Listen without words.
• Listen without interruption.

Facilitators: Jen Barrkman and Kris Plowman from Red Thread Stories

This session will engage participants in discussions about end of life:

• Develop your communication skills
• Recognise spiritual care needs at end of life
• Understand what people are likely to experience in loss
• Recognise that all staff have a role in end of life care
• Understanding communication processes within the team so all staff are aware when a resident dies and are able to support each other, the loved ones and other residents.
• Feel more comfortable engaging in conversations around the dying process and death

picture of senior couple have meal in the garden

Part 1. Introduction to spirituality and contemporary spiritual care in aged care

Appropriate for those who have direct contact with older people, leaders and managers.

The recently published National Guidelines for Spiritual Care in Aged Care state that spiritual care is everyone’s business. Spirituality is intrinsic to being human, and spiritual needs may arise at any time. While chaplains, pastoral carers and pastoral care practitioners have a distinct role in the provision of skilled spiritual care, every person in contact with older people needs to have a basic awareness of spirituality and how it affects their role.

This session will engage participants in a process of developing and deepening understandings of spirituality and spiritual care. It will support the development of confidence in providing basic spiritual care, and discerning when to refer to a skilled practitioner.

During the session, participants will engage in:

• Understandings of spirituality and spiritual care
• Reflection on real life stories
• An exploration of your values and what’s important to you
• Implications for practice in aged care
• Practical ideas to implement in your organisation
• Opportunity to network with others

Part 2. Acknowledging diversity (staff, residents, family, volunteers)

In providing spiritual care, we need to develop self-awareness. We can become aware of our values, beliefs, preferences, interests and ways of being. When we know ourselves, we can easily see where we share values and beliefs with others, and where our values and beliefs differ. We come to see that our values are born of our particular cultural, familial, relational, and religious experiences and are not ‘right or wrong’ but simply different. We can carry an attitude of openness to different human experiences, and celebrate those differences for the richness and complexity that they offer.

The session will explore diversity in terms of:

• Culture
• Religion/faith
• Sexuality/gender

• Increase their awareness and sensitivity in offering spiritual care for those living with dementia
• Develop presence and practice listening skills, particularly in the context of non-verbal communication
• Learn about an application of the ConnecTo Spiritual Screening Tool with people living with dementia, and how to use it in care planning
• Engage in reflective practice using examples and shared stories of professional practice

In this two-part Workshop, participants will first receive an introduction to spiritual care and then explore the application of Meaningful Ageing Australia’s unique spiritual screening tool, ConnecTo. There will be time at the end of the session to talk about integration in your organisation.

Part 1. Introduction to spirituality and spiritual care (for all staff and volunteers)

• Spiritual Care Orientation
• Introduction to screening and assessment

Part 2. Introduction to ConnecTo Spiritual Screening Tool (for frontline staff, especially those who will use it proactively)

• Who conducts screening? Who conducts assessment?
• Questions to consider in implementing ConnecTo
• Introduction to ConnecTo

Hands of mature women watching old photos in the

The move into care, whether residential aged care or community care, can be a challenging experience for many older adults. Care may be necessitated by changes in health status, diminishing physical or mental capacity, and may be accompanied by a shift in identity, sense of purpose and loss of hope. Research shows that the transition is often linked with depression.

How can we support older people to navigate this transition? How can we skilfully facilitate life review at this time? How can we companion older people in meaning-making, assisting them to connect with what is most important to them?

This Workshop will offer a range of practical skills to enable care staff to provide spiritual care to older people experiencing transition. Participants will be introduced to ConnecTo, a new tool for spiritual screening. We’ll explore what it is and how it works, and then use it for self-reflection. When we understand ourselves, we better understand others.

Gaining knowledge about Islam, not only as a religion but also as a way of life for its followers, will assist care providers to understand the care needs of Muslims and respond in a culturally appropriate and respectful manner. It is critical to know about cultural perspectives that have significant influences on Muslim health care, aged care, and spiritual care so as to offer the right support to individuals and families at a time when support is needed the most.

This session will highlight the essentials of Islam in everyday life of a Muslim and the interface between religion and culture in the context of care to help build greater confidence of providers in cross-cultural situations involving Muslims. This cultural knowledge will flow through to more inclusive services, enhanced quality of care and quality of life, and positive care experiences for Australian Muslims and their carers.