Practical recommendations for ethnically and racially sensitive hospice services

Abstract

Hospice providers have long understood that hospice services are disproportionately utilized by Caucasians compared with racial and ethnic minorities. In fact, it is clear that this disparity is increasing with time1 despite the development of literature that recommends making services more culturally sensitive and accessible to minority groups. This suggests a need for more concrete and practical recommendations to make hospice services accessible and amenable to minority groups. For implementation in hospice service organizations, standard recommendations require enhancement to increase outreach, improve understanding of cultural issues related to death and dying, improve communication with non-English speaking populations, and implement cross-cultural training programs. In addition, the self-awareness and ethnic identity of hospice workers themselves are elements of culturally sensitive care that frequently are overlooked when discussing hospice organizations. This article outlines some specific objectives for meeting the goal of improving hospice services for ethnic and racial minorities.