Ending Life Well: Conversations & Connections
Bienvenidos, End of Life Care Planning For Spanish-Speaking Communities
By Alex Trevino , PCOA Bilingual End of Life Specialist In aging-related services, it is important to get to know people, to be able to empathize, and if possible, to be able to understand their situation in order to best serve them.
In this presentation, you can expect to learn about end-of-life care planning. We include information on how to start this planning, the relevance of the Advance Directive documents, as well as the cultural myths and obstacles surrounding our Hispanic/Latino communities that may be preventing some to complete this type of planning. We intend for Spanish monolingual and bilingual people in our community to leave this presentation knowing how, by completing their Advance Directives, they will be able to retain control over their choices of care until that final moment. How creating an end-of-life care plan can help dissipate that lingering fear of becoming a burden to their relatives. As well as knowing that their situation, although unique, is not a reason for anyone to feel like they must deal with it alone. Unfortunately, it has been my experience that many people in our Hispanic/Latino communities are not even aware of the existence of the Advance Directive documents. Many may not be aware that being able to protect their end-of-life choices is a right we all have, but it is one that we have to request.
When it comes to Spanish-speaking communities, I believe that many are not being properly served due partially to language barriers. I am not just referring to the written and oral use and availability of the language but to that suggestive communication that also takes place and incorporates the other senses. Because Spanish doesn’t just sound familiar, in my opinion, Spanish smells like fresh-cut cilantro, it tastes like spicy tamarind candy and has the texture of the maguey. I truly believe that when put together, this not only provides efficient communication but also provides the people we serve with a sense of comfort, and familiarity, and it creates a safe space where they are free to express themselves and to ask the questions they truly want to ask. It is for this reason and with this goal in mind that we have created the presentation called “Preparativos Hechos en Vida.”
We invite you to attend any of our end- of-life monthly presentations offered in Spanish. You can register for our in-person or virtual events through Eventbrite (https://PreparativosLupu. eventbrite.com) or by calling Alex Trevino at 520-790-7573 ext. 1778 . Here at PCOA, the End of Life Team is are also available for personalized assistance with completing your Advance Directives and for questions related to this topic.
You can call PCOA’s Helpline at 520-790-7262 to be connected with us.
August 2022, Never Too Late | Page 22
Pima Council on Aging
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