Pastoral Care

While family and friends are often an important support, you may like to share your experience with an independent person who is there to listen to you in a confidential environment.

When you share your story and feel that you are being respectfully listened to and heard, this can bring great relief, ease the burden of illness, and help you cope with your situation differently.

We offer emotional support, listening presence and we work with you to access the supports in your life.  

We can help when you:

• Need someone to listen to you as you talk things through
• Are facing illness, surgery, and end of life care
• Exploring questions of meaning, belonging and connection
• Exploring existential and ethical issues related to your care
• Are feeling isolated, distressed, worried or vulnerable
• Are facing a transition or change
• Are facing issues related to death, grief or bereavement

We offer care for patients, their families and friends, visitors, volunteers and staff by:

• Visiting one on one
• Coordinate visits from representatives of various religious traditions
• Make a referral to other services as appropriate as requested (e.g. Social Work, Psychology)
• rituals to celebrate, and acknowledge important life moments as well as support people in facing illness, surgery, and end of life care

If you wish we can arrange for a wide range of religious and faith-based support and can facilitate connection for specific sacraments, rituals and faith needs as requested. This is provided by visiting Ministers/Chaplains and ‘On Call’ Clergy who offer faith-based support to patients and their family and visitors upon request.

• Pastoral Care Practitioners offer professional support which is available to all patients, relatives, friends and members of staff
• A team of trained Pastoral Care Volunteers also offer supports to inpatients on selected wards on the Ballarat Base Hospital Site and Queen Elizabeth Site
• Visiting Ministers/Chaplains and ‘On Call’ Clergy from specific faith traditions are available to offer diverse religious support to all

Is Pastoral Care just for religious people?

No. Pastoral Care is for everyone – whoever you are and whatever you believe, we are respectful of all beliefs and cultures with the emphasis on providing emotional and wellbeing support to you, your family, carers and loved ones. Pastoral/Spiritual care is about supporting what gives meaning and purpose to your life.

Can my own religious leader visit me?

Yes.  We recognise that it is important your wellbeing to be able to access the spiritual or religious care that is right for you.  To arrange a visit from your faith or religious leader, you can contact them directly or ask ward staff to do so on your behalf.  Please consider Grampians Health visiting hours and talk with the ward staff if you are unsure.