| Popis: |
There are numerous studies reporting on racial and ethnic differences in knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of older adults with respect to treatment preferences and advance care planning. For example, disparities that exist in end-of-life (EOL) care include poorer communication between minority elders and family members with health care providers. This can lead to reduced likelihood that minority elders can change the acute care default at the EOL that can mean poorer quality of death and higher cost. However, other studies have shown small or no difference between race and ethnic groups. This symposium includes four presentations from three studies, each examining how race and/or ethnicity is, or is not, associated with EOL knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. The first two presentations examine nursing home decedents. The first of these found very few differences among white non-Hispanic, black, and Hispanic decedents on palliative care received and advance care planning. The second presentation uses data from the Health and Retirement Study to compare hospice use among white non-Hispanic, black, and Hispanic decedents. They found no differences by race or ethnicity. The last two presentations report on a study of Chinese American older adults, comparing Mandarin and Cantonese speakers on: preferences for life-sustaining treatment at EOL; communication with family and physician about these preferences; knowledge, attitudes and behaviors toward advance directives and hospice care. Reasons for the language group differences, as well as lack of differences, are discussed. |
