The American journal of hospice & palliative care
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Am J Hosp Palliat Care · May 2012
Barriers to hospice for children as perceived by hospice organizations in North Carolina.
Despite improving organization of hospice for children with life-limiting illnesses, services may be underutilized. We asked representatives of all 76 existing North Carolina hospice organizations about barriers to serving children. ⋯ Lack of pediatric referrals (78%) and families wanting to continue curative therapies while receiving hospice care (77%) were felt to be the most important barriers overall. Enhanced training of pediatric providers and a model of care which blends disease-specific treatment with hospice may improve access to hospice services for children.
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Am J Hosp Palliat Care · May 2012
Cultural competency and diversity among hospice palliative care volunteers.
This case study examines the current state of cultural competence in hospice and palliative care in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Because of changing demographic trends and ethnic minorities underutilizing hospice palliative care services, this research examined the current state of culturally competent care in a hospice setting, and the challenges to providing culturally competent care in a hospice in the GTA. ⋯ The findings reveal that volunteers encountered cultural clashes when their level of cultural competency was weak. Second, volunteers revealed there was a lack of adequate cultural competency training with their hospice, and finally, there was a lack of ethnic, cultural, and linguistic diversity among the hospice volunteers.