ABSTRACT
Chapter 9 focuses on end of life. We examine beliefs about life and death, discuss care for those who are dying, outline practices and rituals associated with end-of-life, and describe how people cope with the loss of a loved one. We outline services provided by hospice and palliative care programs and discuss how the two programs work together. We note that ethnic minorities, low SES populations, and LGBT people underuse these programs resulting in a negative impact on their quality of life during their final days. We present examples that address end-of-life care needs of underserved populations. We examine beliefs, attitudes, practices, and rituals among diverse groups: African American, Hispanic American, American Indian and Alaska Native, Asian American, and LGBT elders. Although advance care planning (ACP) has been shown to help patients live their final days according to their wishes, ACP rates remain low among ethnic and cultural minorities.
