Body
Many patients, as well as their family and friends, value spiritual support during acute inpatient rehabilitation. Chaplains offer emotional, spiritual, religious, pastoral, ethical, and/or existential care to patients, family and friends coping with illness and impairment. The Spiritual Care Department of the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab adheres to the Common Code of Ethics, including respect for confidentiality and cultural and religious diversity.
Staff chaplains are available seven days a week to provide personal visitation for spiritual and emotional support and encouragement including faith counseling, and/or family support and intervention. Visits may also include a spiritual assessment to develop and implement a plan of care to promote patient and family spiritual well-being. Chaplains also offer blessings, benedictions, and other special religious rites as needed and requested.
The chapel/meditation room on the 10th floor Sky Lobby is open 24 hours a day. Daily prayer schedules, sacred books, and prayer rugs are provided for the Muslim community. Copies of the Torah, Christian Bible, inspirational readings, and interdenominational prayers are available. The chaplains provide challah, juice and Sabbath Candles for Jewish patients. Ministers of Care from Holy Name Cathedral offer communion to Catholic patients several times a week. Catholic Mass is held on Tuesday evenings at 5 pm in the chapel/meditation room. An interdenominational Christian service is held on Sunday mornings from 10:15–10:45 am.
Chaplains can also provide reconnection with the patient's worshiping community by contacting the patient's home clergy. Visiting clergy who show the proper identification, may valet park for free on site.
Progressive relaxation is offered in the chapel on Monday through Friday at 12:30 pm. Open to the entire community, as well as patients, families, and staff, this half-hour concentrates on deep breathing accompanied by the sound of ocean waves.
The Spiritual Care Department supervises Channel 62 on the TV, which offers quiet music and nature videos 24 hours a day. Patients can view any services live by watching Channel 61. The department also sponsors a harp concert on the first Friday of every month at 4:30 pm.