Faith, Family, Filiality, and Fate

Abstract

Objective: What is the characterization of family involvement in health decisions, filial piety, religiosity/spirituality, and fatalism as they relate to attitudes/intentions toward end-of-life (EOL) planning/decision making among elderly Dominicans and Puerto Ricans in East Harlem, New York City? Method: An exploratory study using grounded theory and domain analysis was conducted with 51 elderly Dominicans and Puerto Ricans. Purposive and emerging themes were identified by three coders. Results: Purposive themes were family involvement in health decisions/filial piety and religiosity/spirituality/fatalism and for clinical EOL-related terms; emerging themes were accessing/using EOL care, autonomy, influence of death/dying on own future care decisions, and death/dying is a private matter. Implications: The recommendations for community members are to empower awareness of EOL issues, engage providers regarding cultural needs, and clarification of advance care planning (ACP) function; the recommendations for providers are to engage patients to enhance culturally responsive care, clarify ACP function, and ask patients about preference for roles of family and God in decisions; the recommendations for policy makers are to enhance palliative education/access and immigration status research protections.