A framework for understanding spirituality and healthy ageing

Perspectives from Aotearoa New Zealand

Bibliographic Data

ID21176244
AuthorsR Egan (0000-0001-9964-6175, University of Otago, corresponding author), Mei‐Ling Blank (0000-0003-0728-4598, University of Otago)
Year2021
Volume33
Issue2
Pages112-126
Publication date2021-04-03
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Religion, Spirituality & Aging (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1552-8030 • E-ISSN: 1552-8049
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/15528030.2020.1843588
OpenAlexW3109578880
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited32

Spirituality permeates our land, our waters, and our people; it is inherent in Māori culture, often explicit for new migrants, but frequently ignored or tokenistically acknowledged in mainstream culture. Older New Zealanders are a pluralistic population, often fiercely secular, with a small but active religious population. How we now treat our elders requires work, needs careful consideration, and vision. As a country, New Zealand has embraced the notion of ‘well-being’, with the first ‘well-being budget’ announced in 2019. But well-being, or hauora as it is known for Māori, is incomplete without spirituality. This paper examines the place of spirituality, based on understandings and observations grounded in the New Zealand context, which comprises four interrelated areas: zeitgeist, scope and definitions, models, and evidence. We suggest this framework is a useful approach to examining what can be an ineffable personal experience and challenge to society’s provision of aged care and healthy ageing

Aotearoa · Environmental ethics · Mainstream · Political science · Population · Population ageing · Public relations · Sociology · Spirituality · Zeitgeist · Gender Studies · Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health · History · Intergenerational Family Dynamics and Caregiving · Law · Medicine · Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology

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