African Americans Disproportionate Use of Hospice

African-Americans want to be sure that their needs are honored at the end of life. To be sure, Americans want to choose the types of services they can receive, pain control to be tailored to their wishes, and emotional support for their family. They are willing to have an outside organization come into their homes and assist with care for a family member during the last stage of life. These concerns are addressed by hospice. Hospice in the United States is an alternative to traditional methods of caring for the terminally ill. In addition to providing skilled medical services to the patient in the home or nursing facility, hospice seeks to holistically meet the social, emotional, and spiritual needs of the patient, caregiver and family.