Perceptions of Hospice Care Among African Americans

Despite the gains in the availability and acceptance of hospice care, African Americans remain underrepresented among hospice clients. This study utilized focus groups to examine the perceptions of hospice care among African Americans. Previous studies of the perceptions of hospice care among African Americans found a negative or poor perception of hospice care in this population. The perception of hospice care among the African Americans who participated in this study, however, was generally positive. The older the participants, the more likely they were to have considered what care they would like to receive at the end of life. Participants younger than 40 years were unlikely to have considered their final days, even if they had experienced the death of a close family member. The focus-group participants were united in the opinion that being African American did not influence the care that they would desire at the end of life. The fear of the unknown and the certainty of death for all people were emphasized over differences in preferences for care. Hospice, with its emphasis on family-centered care and spiritual support, can be an excellent fit for African Americans who are terminally ill as well as their families, yet African Americans use hospice services at an appreciably lower rate than do non-African Americans. It is clear that there are barriers to hospice use in the African American population.