PCSBV August 2021 Newsletter

Cultural Palliative Care

Europe

Cultural Backgrounds

Practicing in an ethnically and culturally diverse society requires healthcare providers to understand, respect, and take into account the particular cultures from which their patients come. When it comes to how patients make the pain and palliative care decisions, cultural background influences a significant part of their process.

Cultural Beliefs

African, Asian, Chinese, East Indian, Hispanic, Indonesian, Japanese, Native American, and Vietnamese families may request providers not to disclose a terminal diagnosis as they want to avoid emotional suffering and preserve hope. For Christian Scientists, Hinduism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, Muslim, and Seventh-Day Adventists, it is considered contrary to the church’s teachings regarding euthanasia and possible use of drugs that may hasten death. Cultural beliefs regarding pain and death may influence the patient and family’s preferences for palliative care. Many cultures also have distinct cultural beliefs regarding the meaning, origin, and role of pain, which can affect how a patient interprets and perceives pain.

Buddhists may not want any drugs that cloud the mind near death.

examples from around the world

Japanese Culture

South African Culture

Kenyan Culture

Death: Avoid the discussion as they believe talking about it will make it happen.

Death: May avoid discussion

Death: Generally, desire life to be preserved at all costs.

Pain: Maybe very stoic

Pain: Usually, they avoid pain medicine.

Pain: accept pain medicine.

Palliative: May take assistance, often at home

Palliative Care: Usually, die at home with limited involvement of health professionals.

Palliative care: Commonly wish to die at home.

East Asian Culture

Ghanaian Culture

Jamaican Culture

Death: Telling a patient they are going to die isunacceptable.More acceptable to say, “It is time to put your home in order.”

Death: Reluctant to talk about death.

Death: Maybe very emotional with crying and mourning typically

Pain: Maybe stoic, look for non- verbal signs.

Pain: Highly variable

Pain: Often described as emotional

Palliative: Will seek health care but may believe in a possible cure despite terminal illness. Generally, accept end-of-life care

Palliative care: May believe dying at home may bring bad luck. Will accept palliative care.

Palliative care: Usually prefer to die at home with little or no medical assistance.

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