title: End-of-life preferences in Afro-Caribbean older adults: a systematic literature review.
abstract: Research suggests that older Blacks tend to prefer more aggressive treatment as they transition toward the end of life. African and Afro-Caribbean immigrants and their offspring are the fastest growing segments of the Black population in the United States. With the increasing population of Black older adults, the cost of end-of-life care is rising. This article presents a review of the literature on the end-of-life preferences of Afro-Caribbean older adults. Findings suggest that Afro-Caribbean older adults make end-of-life decisions with a significant emphasis on family structure, religion/spirituality, cultural identity, migration, and communication. Concerns regarding the meaning of end-of-life preparation and hospice are often viewed in ways that differ from that of healthcare providers. Future research is needed to investigate this process in the Afro-Caribbean older adult subset.
authors.affiliation: University of Virginia, Charlottesville.
authors.forename: Karen O
authors.initials: KO
authors.lastname: Moss
authors.affiliation: University of Virginia, Charlottesville.
authors.forename: Ishan C
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Williams
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001293:Attitude to Death / Q000208:ethnology*; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D017691:Caribbean Region / Q000208:ethnology; D005195:Family Relations / Q000208:ethnology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011788:Quality of Life; D012069:Religion and Psychology; D029181:Spirituality; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000523:psychology*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology