Discovering Personal Resilience Through Spiritual Care
Chaplains are professionally trained to encourage the development of deep and personal trust-based relationships with senior residents living in low-income housing, and to journey with them as they reflect on their lives and find meaning and purpose in their future.
At the same time, ECS chaplains are also building relationships with the caregivers, and helping them cope with the emotional and physical demands of their work. Chaplains offer grief support for staff after a resident’s death, help caregivers process difficult emotions, prevent burnout through private conversations, and support their mental and physical health.
Senior Living Chaplain Manager, Rev. Barbara Novak, recently spoke with one caregiver who shared her story about how spiritual care has been life-changing for her over the past few years. She expressed deep gratitude for the self-care practices and new perspectives she has learned, which have helped her grow both personally and professionally.
These insights have given her coping skills to face challenges, spiritual grounding to find balance, and a renewed awareness of the importance of caring for herself while serving those in her facility.
Chaplain Barbara recounted the following details of this conversation:
When we spoke, she was experiencing significant physical pain and the emotional weight of difficult resident conversations. As she breathed, released her fears, and leaned into the support of spiritual care, she found the courage to see her needs with compassion. She realized it was okay to step back for a day of rest—something she had been feeling guilty about. By the end of our conversation, she even noticed her pain easing.
She is now preparing for a medical procedure, something she has feared for a long time. With spiritual care walking alongside her, she is moving forward with courage, embracing the medical care she needs and finding hope in the process.
Before we closed, she said something that beautifully sums up the power of spiritual care: “If not for this support, I believe I would have left this job and gone back to my previous one. Now, I am so glad I stayed. My life is filled with purpose in serving the seniors here while continuing to grow spiritually and professionally.”
Her words remind us why spiritual care matters—not just for residents, but for staff as well. It is about presence, compassion, and the gift of helping others discover strength within themselves.
