Ending Life Well: Conversations & Connections
By Alex Trevino , Bilingual End of Life Specialist Let’s Talk about, You Know… Death Topics related to public health have become more prevalent these past few years. We have heard about prevention efforts, life-sustaining treatments, and advice on how to help the public make informed choices when it comes to healthcare—among other things. The often overwhelming information from media outlets and social media has been so prevalent that it has taken residence in our homes and become something we casually discuss with our families over dinner. Regardless of one’s point of view, I think we can all agree that public health issues are now part of our daily lives, and along with this, so is the topic of death. As a Bilingual End-of-Life Specialist, I have had the opportunity to speak with a wide number of members of the Hispanic community regarding end-of-life care planning. Many of them have expressed that, after their experience these past few years, they have become more aware of their own mortality. But, when it comes to end-of-life care planning in relation to the Hispanic community, a realization of our own and our loved one’s mortality might not be enough. The number of individuals in this community that complete their advance directives is still falling short. Advance Directives are part of a well- made end-of-life plan. These documents allow individuals to express their wishes, ahead of time, about their healthcare decisions in the event that a time comes when they are not able to communicate. Through this means, individuals who lack capacity are able to maintain the power
to inform providers of their wishes and potentially guide their own treatment in the direction that they desire. It seems like a good idea to have this type of planning completed “just in case,” right? Yet, it has been my experience that people in the Hispanic community still hesitate to complete these documents. What is keeping us from completing our end-of-life care plans? There might be not one, but multiple personal and shared cultural barriers preventing people from doing this. It is common for us to hear that even though the topic of death has become more normalized due to public health issues and tragic events, death is still something that we do not talk about. Communities of non-English speakers are presented with the additional problem of not having access to the materials, or speaking to a topic specialist in their own language. Another barrier that might be more commonly present in Hispanic communities is the lack of trust in agencies and organizations. Unfortunately, the list of barriers does not stop here. PCOA’s End-of-Life Team has strived to create a positive impact on perceptions of end-of-life care planning that expands across cultures. When it comes to the Hispanic population, including monolingual Spanish speakers, it has been our goal to continue having positive interactions and provide end-of-life services that adapt to the community’s needs. The conversations about death are already happening inside our homes. Why not take this opportunity to talk about an end- of-life care plan? If you need assistance with end-of-life planning in Spanish, call Alex Trevino at (520) 790-7573.
What is National Healthcare Decisions Day? National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD) is on April 16. NHDD is a day designed to help raise public awareness of the need to plan ahead for end-of-life healthcare decisions. The day of observance exists to inspire, educate and encourage people to express their wishes for their advance directives, whatever they may be. NHDD is a collaborative effort to highlight the importance of advance care planning and to provide tools for making these decisions. The initiative is supported by national, state and community organizations committed to ensuring that all adults take the opportunity to communicate and document their advance healthcare decisions.
April 2023, Never Too Late | Page 27
Pima Council on Aging
Made with FlippingBook - Share PDF online