Whiteness and Dialectic Tensions of Patient-centeredness and Latinos’ End-of-life Care

• In Event: Hospice and end-of-life decision-making

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to describe Hospice care providers’ experiences providing care to Latino recipients. With regard to Communication Theory of Identity, hospice care providers often report experiencing their cultural identities as oppositional and a central challenge to providing hospice care to Latinos. In addition, a discourse of Whiteness emerged within the data calling for a focus on caregiver education and training in intercultural competency as a means of providing patient-centered care.

Authors

• Juliann Scholl, Texas Tech University

• Amy Heuman, Texas Tech University

• Patrick Hughes, Texas Tech University