Palliative care for people of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds in Australia
An article written by Elizabeth Lambert
Death will be faced by everyone at some point in their life; if not a loved one's death, it will eventually be their own. Health professionals, particularly those in palliative care and aged care settings, will encounter death regularly. The provision of palliative care services can allow for timely discussions about how someone wants to die, who they want present and what they wish to happen with their body following their death. These critical aspects of preparing for someone's death can determine whether a good death was achieved and impact how the bereaved cope with their loved one's death.
Australia continues to pride itself as a multicultural country; however, we are still not achieving culturally sensitive palliative care for all people of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Individualised care is the key to ensuring that someone receives care that is culturally appropriate for them. Understanding the traditions and rituals of different cultures is helpful for care but does not mean that is how a particular individual wishes for their care.
Four key themes and their impacts on cultural considerations during end-of-life care were identified in our critical literature synthesis [1]; 1) Therapeutic communication and differing health literacy degrees can be significant barriers to culturally appropriate care. 2) Accessing end-of-life services was hindered by information not provided in multiple languages, the stigma around diseases and a lack of acceptance of different cultures. 3) Ensuring cultural norms, traditions and rituals are upheld is important to achieving culturally appropriate care. 4) Healthcare professionals need adequate training and resources to provide culturally appropriate care. These four themes can guide healthcare workers and organisations to review their policies and practices to facilitate end-of-life care for people of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
The literature clearly demonstrates that culturally appropriate care needs to be improved in Australia. Providing culturally appropriate care can enhance the quality of life and decrease suffering for the person and their family. The literature review conducted by Lambert et al., 2023 identified that there needs to be more research in this area. Researching this area may be particularly difficult due to the physical and emotional impacts of life-limiting illnesses. Researchers could consider retrospective studies with the families of people who received palliative care. Further research could continue to close the knowledge gaps and cultural barriers when providing end-of-life care to someone of a culturally or linguistically diverse background.
Each person in a palliative care setting deserves the opportunity to decide how they want to die.
References:
- Lambert, E., Strickland, K., & Gibson, J. (2023). Cultural considerations at end-of-life for people of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds: A critical interpretative synthesis. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 00, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.16710
Useful links:
Cultural approaches to death and dying - https://www.pallcareact.org.au/toolkits/cultural-approaches-to-death-and-dying/