Bass Coast Pastoral Care Program

Within every community there exists infinite layers of opportunity, participation, care and need. Each of these layers knits together the fabric of our social landscape and within that landscape a great expression of our humanity is found in the faces of volunteers.  The Bass Coast has a huge volunteer heart and some of the best representation of our region’s human goodness can be found listening compassionately in our hospital wards and aged care facilities. Bass Coast Health in partnership with the Wonthaggi and Inverloch Inter- Church Council facilitates the delivery of a program that supports patients, residents and families as a part of caring for our community’s spiritual and emotional wellbeing. 

The positive aspect of the Pastoral Care Program resonates across the cultural, social, gender and age spectrum and touches many within our community. Conversations are powerful and non more than those which bear no judgement and are offered unconditionally. 

A universal human search is underway - perhaps now, more than ever we are seeking the answer to the primordial question.

What is the meaning of life?

Searchers vary in age, gender, culture, and they come from every walk of life. The question is as old as the ages and ironically, as we march toward our own twilight years the need to find this resolution can intensify as each year passes. The roads we journey on this quest usually lead us on an exploration of ourselves and as we discover or construct our life’s purpose we often explore our own spirituality.

According to Spiritual Health Victoria (SHV) this exploration “is sometimes expressed through a religious framework or a particular philosophy and for others it is expressed within the domains of relationship
and connection.”

The idea of spiritual health is not new but our contemporary society is certainly paying the concept a great deal more attention. It is commonly acknowledged that spiritual health is important to overall health and in fact SHV says “it is an integral aspect of a person-centred, or holistic, model of care.” 

Health is a state of complete physical, social and mental wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity 

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has long recognised the need to nurture all aspects of the human condition in order to achieve health. Since 1948 their constitution has included reference to the fact that “health is a state of complete physical, social and mental wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. Just as our cultural and values systems inform and shape our personal beliefs, our level of independence, interactions and relationship expectations and concerns, inform and shape our psychological wellbeing which in turn impacts on our ability to sustain or recover our health.

To find out more about the Bass Coast Community Foundation's involvement with pastoral care - please download the case studies guide below

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