A collection of screenshots featuring presenters from the live Zoom programming during the conference.
This past June, scholars, practitioners, support workers, health care experts, and interested parties from across the globe gathered together virtually over the course of three weeks to advance the connections between spiritual practice and the effects of aging at the ninth International Conference on Aging and spirituality. Many health care support workers and religious/spiritual practitioners recognize the benefits to a broader approach of spiritual needs among all aging individuals and communities beyond end of life care, and recognize the diverse experiences of elder care around the world. The conference connected researchers with practitioners in a way that fosters community and advances this important intersection of care.
Originally started in Australia in 2000, the conference had previously been hosted in the UK, New Zealand, Scotland, and the USA. For 2021, the conference was to be held at Conrad Grebel University College in Waterloo, ON, Canada, until the pandemic brought world travel and in-person events to a complete stop.
Jane Kuepfer, Schlegel Specialist in Spirituality and Aging at Grebel and the Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging, worked with an established committee as the conference co-ordinator, to offer the conference online. “Many people were excited for the opportunity to participate in this conference virtually,” Kuepfer explained, “especially in the midst of pandemic, when they are longing for meaningful engagement.”
The decision created a version of the conference that connected more people from around the world simultaneously than in-person conferences had previously allowed for. “We certainly had more international participation than I would have expected in person – and good participation from older adults, who could conveniently use Zoom from home,” Kuepfer added. “Also, chaplains could participate without having to take time away from work.”
The modified three-week conference (normally three days) hosted seven 90-minute live presentations over Zoom, reaching participants across eight countries. The committee accepted twice as many abstracts as they had presentation room for, so 13 presenters pre-recorded their presentations for on demand viewing by attendees. The presenters represented six countries, including contributions from Singapore, Hong Kong, and Israel.
With this year’s theme of Vital Connections: Claiming voice and learning to listen, speakers covered topics of COVID-19 and pandemic care in elder spaces, moral injury, medicine and spiritual well being, workplace engagement, dementia, oral traditions in Afro-Indigenous communities, mental health, art interventions, and more. Participants also heard directly from elders, who were encouraged to send in 60 second clips describing what has helped them feel connected during the pandemic.
“Working internationally benefits the field of spirituality and aging immensely,” explained Kuepfer. “The conference has been an opportunity for researchers from a variety of disciplines, along with spiritual care practitioners, to collaborate – sharing observations and research findings and learning together about spiritual needs we hold in common across religions and cultures as we grow older. It’s also an opportunity to engage diverse resources, like the Australian Aboriginal practice of Dadirri, The Ba’al Shem Tov’s 3-step approach to unwelcome experiences (Jewish), or the use of storytelling and song by East African elders.”
Participants expressed their gratitude for the chance to expand their knowledge and connect with others passionate about this important and expansive area of care. “As spiritual care persons, we can feel very alone in our work,” noted a participant during the final live session. “It has been wonderful to be reminded that all over the world, we are a team making a difference and how important this work is.”
An in-person conference will take place in 2022 in Canada on Grebel’s campus, which will continue this year’s theme and discussions in person. While the conference has passed, recordings are still available. Those interested can register online to receive access to the recorded sessions, pre-recorded sessions, and posters until September 30, 2021. Registration and presentation information can be found at https://uwaterloo.ca/ageing-spirituality/
by Margaret Gissing