The Role of Spirituality in the Healthcare of the Aged: A Case Study of Elderly Health Care at the Agogo Presbyterian Hospital – Ghana

Seth Oteng Ofori ORCID iD & John Kwaku Opoku ORCID iD

Issue: Vol.8 No.10 November 2022 Issue  Article 2 pp 287-300
DOI : https://doi.org/10.38159/erats.20228102 |   Published online 12th December 2022.
© 2022 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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Religion/spirituality has been known to be an essential part of human life. Besides supporting life challenges, spirituality does give structure, meaning and the needed understanding of day-to-day life issues. Studies confirm the hugely positive results that spirituality has on human health, especially in enhancing total well-being and quality of life. This benefit is particularly seen in the life of the elderly. For these older persons, spiritual disciplines like prayers, scriptures and music have been identified as helpful resources for their healthcare.  It becomes a worrying situation when these persons who are naturally inclined to spirituality do not get these resources as a compliment to their care in an organized manner in Ghana. This issue occasioned an investigation that sought to harness the potentiality of some of these spiritual disciplines as a resource in complimenting the health of the elderly. In this paper, through SPSS, data generated from the questionnaires were chronologically arranged thematically. An empirical analysis followed which takes cognizance of interviews with healthcare personnel in Agogo Presbyterian Hospital.  The result showed that there is evidence of spirituality among the aged when they are in a state of ailment. Their unflinching source of hope, strength and peace in God is made manifest amidst the discomfort that characterizes being aged coupled with ill health.  Religious doctrines also affect health and health behaviour via an exposition of the scriptures during devotions at the hospital. Music ministered to the sick aged was also found to bring a feeling of nostalgia while reducing their level of anxiety. The study revealed that when the aged are devoted to prayer, it raises their level of optimism. Doctors, therefore, need to focus on emotional conditions for better health outcomes.  The paper concluded by making a case for an integration of spirituality/religion into the healthcare plan of the aged. This will see clinicians giving room to aged religious/spiritual preferences to be considered as part of their therapy in Ghana.

Keywords: Aged, Health, Spirituality, Prayer, Music, Scriptures

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Rev.Seth Oteng Ofori is a Medical Laboratory Scientist at Agogo Presbyterian Hospital and an ordained Minister of the Gospel in the Presbyterian Church of Ghana. He holds a Master of Philosophy in Religious Studies from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, a Master of Divinity from Trinity Theological Seminary, Accra and a Bachelor of Science in Laboratory Technology from the University of Cape Coast. He has also completed a certificate course in Health Administration and Management from GIMPA. His research focuses on the nexus between health and religion and its potential impact on the care of the aged.

Prof. John Kwaku Opoku is a Catholic Priest in the Catholic Archdiocese of Kumasi. He is an Associate Professor at the Department of Religious Studies – Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). He has a B.A. in the study of Religion and Sociology (Legon, Ghana), an M.A. in Intercultural Theology (Radboud Universiteit-Nijmegen), a Master of Bioethics (Medical Colleges of Radboud Universiteit-Nijmegen, Catholic University of Leuven-Belgium, the Universities of Basel and Padova -Switzerland and Italy respectively) and a Ph.D. in Theology and Health (Radboud Universiteit-Nijmegen).  His areas of specialization are Pastoral Theology, Bioethics, and Religion and Health. Email: kofidei2012@gmail.com

Oteng Ofori S. & Opoku J.K.  “The Role of Spirituality in the Healthcare of the Aged: A Case Study of Elderly Health Care at the Agogo Presbyterian Hospital – Ghana,” E-Journal of Religious and Theological Studies, 8 no.10 (2022): 287-300. https://doi.org/10.38159/erats.20228102

© 2022 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Publishers. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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