Review article
Integrated pastoral care for patients and health care workers
Nikola Vranješ
; Catholic Faculty of Theology in Rijeka, University of Zagreb,
Abstract
Pastoral care for patients and health care workers is an
important and significant part of the overall pastoral mission
of the Church. This is a very complex area of activities which
in today’s pastoral care and social circumstances has become
increasingly demanding. Therefore it is important to point out
the need for a systematic approach to this area of activity, i.e.
to extend pastoral care also to those who take care of the sick,
i.e. to health and medical workers. So far attention has been
focused on the activities with the sick. But, even that area
of activities is going to be better if pastoral care is extended
to all participants involved in care for the sick. Precisely that
integrated and systematic approach in the pastoral care of
the sick is the subject of this work. The author analyses the
given issue in a theologically evaluative way taking into account
primarily the problems and possibilities of improving this aspect
of pastoral care today. Moreover, special attention is paid to
hospice movement and palliative care as one of the important
segments of the patients’ pastoral care, but also of the overall
work of the Church.
Keywords
pastoral care; patient; health care workers; Church; hospice
Hrčak ID:
112244
URI
Publication date:
17.12.2013.
Visits: 1.737 *