Seva Sainyam: Everyone Can Serve Chaplaincy/Health Care Related Opportunities

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Seva Sainyam Everyone Can ServeChaplaincy/Healt
h Care RelatedOpportunities

• Chaplain Swami Sarvaananda PhD, BCC

September 11-13, 2009
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Serving, Respecting Our Elders

• Where At Home, At Temple, In Community, Abroad
• Whom Serving those that are Well, Aging,
  Infirmed, Handicapped, Diminished in Body, Mind,
  or Spirit, all!
• Educating Ourselves and Others
• Teaching our Youth about Seva, Dharma, Respect
  for Generations, Learning from Seniors
• Teaching all Temple Participants regarding
• End of Life issues
• Dementia/Altzheimers
• How and when to provide Home Care
• Housing Options Assisted Living, Nursing
  Homes, etc.
• Financial Expectations for care, Insurance,
  etc.

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Educating Health Services

• Produce and Distribute (hard copy and internet)
  
• 1. Booklet Tips on Indian Culture (related to
  health care)
• a. Beliefs regarding End of Life, afterlife,
  Law of Karma
• b. Whom to address and how, family
  attendance, food needs, items for comfort in
  room, bhajans and chants, formal Hindu prayers,
  malas, etc.
• 2. Pamphlet Specific Prayers for Special Events
  (health related, for chaplains and other medical
  staff)
• birth, naming, first food, still birth, near
  death, death, more
• 3. Hindu Box for Chaplaincy Department (also
  offer instruction on above, on Puja, on Deities,
  etc.

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Educating In Other Care Areas

• Nursing Homes, Assisted Living Facilities
• Cultural Concerns
• Family and Friends, Temple Members Visits
• Food Needs
• 4. Worship items in room, including music
• Funeral Homes
• 1. How to prepare body
• 2. How to display body
• 3. What kind of service is needed, importance of
  the Puja, types of prayers, etc.
• 4. Symbolic lighting of the funeral pyre in
  service, pushing of the button
• 5. Interment/ Disposal of ashes

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Volunteering, Health Services Related

• a. Visit Hindu Patients for cultural and
  spiritual support.
• 1. Volunteer Chaplaincy
• 2. Certified Chaplaincy
• b. Plan, promote and participate in Interfaith
  Services
• c. Lead Cultural events (Holy Days, Temple Dance,
  Food Fairs, etc.) in community, at health
  facility, in Temple
• Arrange to bring medical staff/students to Temple
  or to your homes (especially on holidays), plan
  programs
• Hold community groups at Temple Altzheimers,
  Hospice Grief and Bereavement, Interfaith Study,
  etc.
• Hold Health Fairs for your members

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Key Points Chaplaincy Related Seva

• Produce and Distribute (consider hard copy and
  internet)
• Booklet, Hindu Culture Tips for Health Care
  Providers
• Readings, Prayers for Special Events
• Provide Hindu Box for Chapels/Chaplaincy Depts.
• Educate
• Health Facilities, Funeral Homes on Hindu
  culture, spiritual concerns
• Instruct All in Seva Dharma and Opportunities
• Volunteer
• Provide for own Seniors, Open Temple for groups
• Become Trained Volunteer or Certified Chaplains