This lesson on Cultural Diversity includes a complete in-service training packet. It takes approximately one hour to complete and fully meets the Medicare in-service training requirement for one hour of hospice aide training.

The lesson is easy to use and written specifically for hospice aides. As aides need training, simply copy the pages from each lesson as needed—the only restriction is that aides receiving training must work from your office location. Remember, your hospice aides must have 12 hours of in-service training every year.

LESSON OBJECTIVES
Upon completion of this program, the hospice aide will be able to:

• Explain the definition of culture
• Name three cultural groups in the agency’s geographic area
• Name three cultural beliefs that surround death and
• List three examples of how a patient’s cultural beliefs can affect the hospice aide’s role

OVERVIEW
According to the 2000 U.S. Census, one out of every four Americans is non-white. The traditional melting pot has evolved into a salad of racial, ethnic, cultural, and religious diversity. Because every culture has unique customs and beliefs surrounding death and dying, it’s not possible to use a one-size-fits-all approach to end-of-life care.

According to a 1995 study by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NPCO), the majority of hospice patients were white—83 percent. Only 8 percent of hospice patients were African American and 3 percent were Hispanic. Many experts believe that cultural differences affect these numbers.

This in-service lesson is an overview of the cultural differences that may affect how a hospice aide cares for patients.

ALSO
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