On September 17, IHCAM and the Catholic Health Association of Manitoba (CHAM) presented at the Palliative Manitoba Conference on Spiritual Care in Dementia: A Building Block for a Palliative Approach. The session brought together research, frontline practice, and spiritual health leadership to explore the place of spiritual care in dementia.
One of the central messages was that spiritual care is not limited to religion. It includes meaning, purpose, identity, hope, belonging and connection—needs that remain important even as cognition and communication change.
The presentation also looked beyond the individual. Dementia affects an entire ecosystem: residents, families, caregivers, care teams, and the organizations and communities surrounding them. Spiritual health can support dignity and connection for residents, accompany families through grief and change, and strengthen compassion and resilience within care teams.
For IHCAM, this is also an organizational conversation. Spiritual health practitioners have a unique view of what is happening “on the ground” and can help organizations better understand how care is experienced and keep dignity and personhood at the centre of decision-making.
Our presentation closed with a simple reminder: when memory fades, identity can still be honoured; when words disappear, connection remains possible.
View the full presentation here: Spiritual Care in Dementia