title: Spiritual care in the last phase of life: a comparison between the Church of Sweden and the Church of Finland.
abstract: This article deals with the Church of Sweden and the Church of Finland and their spiritual support for parishioners during their end-of-life phase. Support for the dying seemed uncommon in both countries, while most parishes offered support for the bereaved. The Finnish respondents expressed more confidence in their spiritual role than did the Swedes. This may have to do with the role of the churches in their respective countries and the varying geographies of death.
authors.affiliation: National Institute for the Study of Ageing and Later Life, Linköping University, Norrköping, Sweden. evagr@isv.liu.se
authors.forename: Eva Jeppsson
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Grassman
authors.forename: Anne Birgitta
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Pessi
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Whitaker
authors.forename: Elina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Juntunen
mesh_terms: D001293:Attitude to Death; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010327:Pastoral Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012068:Religion and Medicine; D012944:Social Support; D029181:Spirituality; D013548:Sweden