What Are the Duties of a Chaplain in a Nursing Home?

According to the non-denominational group Chaplain Fellowship Ministries, "nursing home chaplaincy or ministry takes a chaplain who is ordained and has compassion." These qualities are the foundation for programs and services offered to nursing home residents and their caregivers. Duties vary from facility to facility, including staff and resident care, event planning, and crisis management.

Worship Services

• Nursing home chaplains arrange for weekly worship services in the facility chapel, or for local churches to come to the home and minister to the residents and staff. In addition to scheduling, the Chaplain Bible Institute recommends that chaplains arrange short traditional services of thirty to forty-five minutes' duration.

Resident Care

• The primary duty of the nursing home Chaplain is to provide spiritual support and comfort for the residents of the facility. This may simply mean offering a compassionate ear for the residents' complaints or discomfort, but it may also include counseling and advice for specific problems. Regardless of the form that the ministry takes, the chaplain should communicate a caring friendship with a tolerant attitude for multiple cultural traditions and a wide range of spiritual beliefs. It is not the chaplain's job to change residents' way of perceiving their spirituality, but to support them in the journey during this phase of their lives.

Crisis Management

• Many critically ill residents will face a health crisis or death. The chaplain should be available to offer comfort to the individual as well as the family, supporting them in their fear or grief. This often includes hospice patients and residents who are known to be dying. During this difficult time, sensitivity and compassion are requisite for the spiritual support needed by all involved; the patient, family, and staff. Providing comfort for the dying is a key part of the Chaplain's job. Often, families will ask difficult questions during this time and the chaplain should endeavor to communicate spiritual sustenance rather than answer every question posed because many of these questions not answerable outside specific dogmas.

Staff Care

• Nursing home chaplains do not just offer support to residents, but they also offer support to the facility staff. They also provide a spiritual perspective and, according to the Association of Professional Chaplains, sometimes act as "advocates or 'cultural brokers' between institutions and patients, family and staff."

Event Planning

• Chaplains should provide events to bolster the spiritual experience of residents and staff. These events extend beyond the traditional worship service and include, but are not limited to, visits by music groups, youth ministries, and local congregations to encourage and support the residents. Event planning can also include counseling sessions for family and staff, spiritual assessments for residents, as well as ministry coordination with local pastors or churches.