Spirituality, Social Work and Ageing

Progressive secularisation of societies both in the east and the west, has led to casualisation of spiritual care and where present it appears to be highly tentative. Today, this process has created a void in the core business of social work that it continues to grow poorer, remain ineffective in its approach to the broader definitions of spirituality and in its understanding of the basis the religious identity of its clients. Additionally, ‘ageing’ too as a process contributes to the ambivalence of the trigonometry of spirituality social work and ageing. As a process it begins with human birth and ceases with human death. Spiritual concerns begin early, when life is full of zest, vigour and vitality and as a result of preoccupation with zestful life these concerns remain under the back burner and return with ageing in the second half of life. Spiritual care through ageing involves a willingness to accompany a person on their inward reflective journey. How do social work professionals inform themselves about concerns of spiritual nature? What challenges and opportunities are presented today in the global multi ethnic societies? How does strengths approach assist social work in chartering a meaningful journey with its ageing clients? What variable skill sets are required of social worker to enable the ageing persons to resolve concerns in their second half of their life? These are the questions this paper would attempt to inspire the central purpose and interventions of social work