Hospices

Asian clients and their families are less likely to take advantage of hospice services, such as home visiting, day stay and rest-home facilities. In Asian communities there is a general lack of awareness about what hospices provide and their philosophy of care. The general perception is that when a hospice becomes involved, death is certain and imminent. It is important to educate clients and their families about what services hospices can offer.

In New Zealand, with appropriate cultural support in place more Chinese people are choosing specialist hospice units for their end-of-life care, rather than home or residential aged care. However, many families do not understand that a ‘referral to hospice’ also means the option of community support by a palliative care team in their own homes (personal communication Catherine Chiu 28/08/13).

It is useful to note that some hospices in the Auckland region cater to the spiritual needs of religiously diverse clients, for example, the Amitabha Hospice Service in Auckland (2013) is based on and practices Buddhist principles.