Chaplaincy
Spiritual Care
Coming into hospital can be a worrying experience and patients have many immediate and practical questions, such as: ‘How long will I be in here?’, ‘How will my family cope while I am away?’ Other more difficult questions are harder to put into words, like: ‘What does the future hold for me?‘ and ‘Why me?’
At Duchess of Kent House, we are concerned with the whole person, and aim not only to alleviate physical symptoms, but also to offer spiritual, psychological and emotional support. The Charity is pleased therefore to provide funding for our own chaplain in the unit.
The chaplain is here to:
• Be a listening ear about anything religious or non-religious which is causing you concern
• Help you work through some of the serious issues which arise from life-shortening diseases
• Address any religious needs you may have (e.g. for prayers, Holy Communion)
• If required, put you in touch with a representative from another faith or life stance
Who is the Chaplain?
Judy Davies is on site 5 days a week, including Sundays and is available to offer support to patients and families of all faiths or none. Judy is also, along with chaplaincy colleagues from the Royal Berkshire Hospital, part of the Chaplaincy’s 24 hour on-call rota. This means that there is always a chaplain available to patients and families, at any time of day or night, at times of crisis or emergency. We also have the services of Father Richard Maniak who regularly visits all Roman Catholic patients in the unit. We also have contacts details for representatives of all the major world faiths
The Sanctuary
The Sanctuary is a small room set aside as a place for prayer and quiet reflection. It has a wide selection of books, including the scriptures and prayers of different faiths, and other materials for worship (e.g. prayer mats, candles). The Duchess of Kent House Memorial Book is kept there as well as the annual Light Up A Life In Memoriam books
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