All of these challenges have emerged at the same time that health care providers are being urged to care for an increasing number of patients in a decreasing amount of time. Lynn et al. The practitioner's first task is to find a working definition of the term spirituality and to distinguish it from religion. While religious affiliation in the United States is high, many people have either never belonged to a specific religion or have ceased to practice one. Moreover, because of difficulty getting to religious services, many elders have ceased attending and have ultimately lost contact with clergy or members of a congregation.
Spirituality is much more difficult to define than religion.
The key word is meaning . The practitioner's task is to help the patient find or create meaning in the last stage of life, however long that may be. In my work with aged dying patients, I do not usually deal with these tasks consecutively, as stages of growth, but concurrently, and they are not always completed. The object is to open the door and let the patient proceed. Substituting the term meaning-making for spirituality can reduce some anxiety both for patients and physicians.