Culturally responsive pain management for black older adults

Abstract

The management of pain for Black older adults has received inadequate attention by health care professionals despite evidence of greater pain intensity, depressive symptoms, and functional disability compared with White American older adults. Pain management for this population may be significantly improved with more careful attention to the provision of culturally responsive care. As professionals concerned with the optimization of health and reduction of suffering throughout the lifespan, nurses have an ethical, moral, and professional responsibility to provide culturally responsive care to the populations they serve-particularly when clear disparities in health exist. By considering how culture affects important health beliefs, values, preferences, and customs, and integrating this understanding into practice, quality of life is likely to be improved.