I have been researching and providing spiritual care in hospice for the last six years. Over that time, I gained a deep appreciation for care as an art. At the same time, I studied the science behind how good care happens. I saw countless examples of good care. I also witnessed times when care fell apart. It became apparent to me as a caregiver that many persons who provide good care have tuned into how they feel. They have empathy for others, and this empathy is the source of compassionate action. They make mental space for and deeply know their bodies and the sensations, feelings, and intuitions that arise and fall away in their bodies. They pay attention to and notice what sensations, feelings, emotions, and intuitions arise in their bodily experience. I do not come to awareness of this kind of experience naturally, as a person who has learned to think clearly first and foremost, but through mindfulness practice I discovered how to relax, calm my mind, make it receptive to my bodily sensations and feelings, and experience the wealth of my body’s sensations, feelings, and emotions. In the series that follows, I explore how this kind of awareness of the body is involved with care for persons with dementia. For me, this journey began when I agreed to care for my grandfather. On the basis of these experiences, I grew curious about what the scientific study of care as a practice might say about the art of care. One of the most important discussion of care for persons with dementia I have come across in my research is Tom Kitwood’s Dementia Reconsidered. This book has prompted me to reflect on my care for my grandfather, and I share these reflections here in the hope that it will help other caregivers appreciate their care and how it deeply recognizes the humanity of the persons who receive it.
