b'ASK THE EXPERTQ.I know that spiritual support is animportant part of care near the end of life, but Im often at a loss as to how to provide it. How can I improve?First, we need to clarify what we mean by spiritual care. Its not necessarily to do with religion, but about understanding how each residents values and beliefs can inform how we make them more comfortable and at ease towards the end of their lives.So how do you do that? It begins with building trusting relationships with our residents before they reach that end-of-life stage. Listen to their stories and discover their likes, dislikes, values, and spiritual backgrounds. When you have that level of understanding as a caregiver, youre better prepared to provide the support they need when they arent as able to communicate it themselves.Spiritual care is also about the little things. Its bringing a resident their favourite tea without them asking, putting on familiar music in their rooms, or making changes to their environment that reflect their spiritual needs. Many homes have toolkits to help identify the physical and emotional signs of a resident who is nearing the end of their life, and resources to help caregivers make that transition as comfortable as possible. For example, our Community of Practice for Pain and Palliative Care created an End of Life Spiritual Care Toolkit to help homes address both the physical and spiritual needs of residents and their families throughout the journey, including the end-of-life celebrations and tributes that complete the process. In the end, one of the most essential parts of providing spiritual or emotional support for residents is simply listening. We might not have all of the answers, but letting residents talk about what theyre feelingtheir fears, anxieties, cherished memoriescan make all the difference in the world. You dont necessarily have to respond, since simply being there at the bedside to listen is a hugely supportive response in and of itself.LTCT- Chris Baron is the Pastoral Care Coordinator, and Laurie Wheeler, RN, is the Quality Nurse Coordinator, with Chelsey Park Long TermCare Residence. To learn more about theirEnd of Life Spiritual Care Toolkit, contact lwheeler@southbridgecare.ca.Ask the Expert is generously sponsored byArjo Canada, Cardinal Health Canada, and Essity Canada, the Corporate Alliance Partners of the Ontario Long Term Care Association. The opinions and information contained in Ask the Expert are solely those of the author(s) and not reviewed or endorsed by the sponsors.44 LONG TERM CARE TODAY Spring/Summer 2020'