scholarly journals Preferences and Determinants of End-of-Life Care Among Older Chinese Americans

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 357-357
Author(s):  
Dexia Kong ◽  
Elissa Kozlov ◽  
XinQi Dong

Abstract End-of-life (EOL) care awareness and practice remain particularly low among older Chinese Americans. More empirical evidence regarding EOL is needed to develop culturally-relevant interventions to promote EOL engagement in this minority population. Using population-specific data, this study investigates preferences and associated sociodemographic and health determinants related to EOL among older Chinese Americans. Data were from the Population-based Study of Chinese Elderly in Chicago (collected 2017-2019, N=3,124). Linear and logistic regressions were conducted. Of the sample, 46.1% considered EOL care planning as important or somewhat import. Nearly 22% had EOL discussions with families. The most preferred EOL locations were home (43.7%), hospital (35.5%), nursing home (10.1%), and hospice (4.3%). Overall, 47.1% perceived EOL care as family decisions, 39.6% regarded EOL care as personal decisions, 7.5% preferred children to make EOL decisions, and 3.3% preferred a spouse to make EOL decisions. Chinese older adults who were female (B=0.10, p<0.01), married (B=0.11, p<0.01), had higher education (B=0.02, p<0.001), acculturation level (B=0.02, p<0.001), and religiosity (B=0.12, p<0.001), and more chronic conditions (B=0.05, p<0.001) were more likely to consider EOL as important. Those with older age [Odds Ratio (OR)=1.02, 95% Confidence Interval (CI)=1.01-1.03], female gender (OR=1.44, 95% CI=1.18-1.77), higher levels of education (OR=1.02, 95% CI=1.01-1.04), acculturation (OR=1.04, 95% CI=1.01-1.06), and religiosity (OR=1.11, 95% CI=1.02-1.21), longer U.S. residence (OR=1.02, 95% CI=1.01-1.03), and more chronic conditions (OR=1.13, 95% CI=1.06-1.21) were more likely to have discussed EOL preferences with their families. Study findings underscore low engagement in EOL planning in this population and the need for culturally-appropriate interventions.

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 572-572
Author(s):  
Kaipeng Wang ◽  
Fei Sun ◽  
Yanqin Liu ◽  
Carson de Fries

Abstract Family involvement in end-of-life (EOL) care is critical to ensure older adults’ health and quality of life. Older adults’ self-efficacy in discussing EOL care plans with family members can facilitate family involvement in EOL care planning. Research shows that family relationships are associated with self-efficacy in discussing EOL care with family members among older Chinese Americans. However, the roles of family conflict and acculturation remain unknown. This study examines the association between family conflict and self-efficacy in discussing EOL care with family members and whether such an association differs by acculturation levels among older Chinese Americans. Data were collected from 207 Chinese Americans aged 65-102 in two metropolitan areas in 2017. Ordinary least squares regression was conducted to examine the association between family conflict, acculturation, and self-efficacy in discussing EOL care with family. Family conflict was negatively associated with older adults’ self-efficacy in discussing EOL care with family. More specifically, the negative association between family conflict and self-efficacy in discussing EOL care with family members was more pronounced for those with higher levels of acculturation. Findings highlighted differential effects of family conflict on self-efficacy of EOL care plan discussion for older adults with different acculturation levels. Those with higher acculturation may be more independent in their EOL care planning and aware of the possible negative effects of family conflict in their EOL care planning discussions. Acculturation needs to be considered by geriatric health providers to develop family-centered interventions in improving end-of-life care planning for this population.


2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (10) ◽  
pp. 1265-1272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Han-Lin Chi ◽  
Janine Cataldo ◽  
Evelyn Y. Ho ◽  
Roberta S. Rehm

Background: Health-care providers (HCPs) find facilitating end-of-life (EOL) care discussions challenging, especially with patients whose ethnicities differ from their own. Currently, there is little guidance on how to initiate and facilitate such discussions with older Chinese Americans (≥55 years) and their families. Objective: To explore communication strategies for HCPs to initiate EOL care discussions with older Chinese Americans in the San Francisco Bay Area. Design: This qualitative (focused) ethnographic study included field observations and individual semistructured interviews with 14 community-dwelling older Chinese Americans who lived independently at home, 9 adult children, and 7 HCPs. Responses were analyzed using open coding, memos, and comparison across participants. Results: The study participants emphasized the importance of assessing readiness for early EOL care discussions. All recommended using indirect communication approaches to determine older Chinese Americans’ readiness. Indirect communication can be culturally targeted and applied at both system-wide (ie, health-care system) and individual (ie, HCP) levels. To institutionalize the practice, health-care facilities should implement EOL care discussion inquiries as part of routine during check-in or intake questionnaires. In individual practice, using depersonalized communication strategies to initiate the discussion was recommended to determine older Chinese Americans’ readiness. Conclusion: Assessing readiness should be an essential and necessary action for early EOL care discussions. Culturally targeted assessment of older Chinese Americans includes using indirect communication approaches to initiate an EOL care discussion to determine their readiness. In addition to health-care system integration, providers should implement and evaluate proposed EOL discussion initiation prompts with their older Chinese American patients.


2021 ◽  
pp. 073346482199686
Author(s):  
Kaipeng Wang ◽  
Fei Sun ◽  
Yanqin Liu ◽  
Dexia Kong ◽  
Carson M. De Fries

Family involvement is critical to end-of-life (EOL) care among older adults. This study aims to examine the association and pathways between family relationships and older Chinese Americans’ attitude toward family involvement in EOL care discussions. Data were collected from 260 Chinese Americans aged 55 years and above. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the total and indirect effects of family relationships on attitude toward family involvement in discussing EOL care plans. Family relationships had a significant positive total effect on attitude toward family involvement in EOL care. Indirect effects of family relationships on attitude toward family involvement in EOL care through self-efficacy, perceived benefits, and perceived barriers of discussing EOL care with family members were all significant. Findings provide empirical evidence of how family relationships affect older Chinese Americans’ attitude toward family involvement in EOL care and underline the need for family-centered EOL interventions for this population.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 750-751
Author(s):  
Yaolin Pei ◽  
Wei Zhang ◽  
Bei Wu

Abstract The study aimed to examine how immigrant status and family relationships are associated with advanced care planning (ACP) engagement and end-of-life (EOL) preference over burial plan among older Chinese Americans, the largest subgroup of Asian Americans. Logistic regressions were used to analyze data from a survey of 430 older Chinese Americans aged 55 and older living in a Honolulu, Hawai’i. Results show that U.S.-born Chinese Americans were more likely to engage in ACP, including willingness thought of EOL care, and discussion about EOL care, and having preference over burial plan, than the foreign-born Chinese American. Family cohesion was not associated with ACP engagement and EOL preference over burial plan. Family conflict increased the possibility of ACP engagement, indicated by willingness thought of ACP, willingness discussion on ACP, and EOL preference over burial plan. The culturally sensitive educational intervention is needed to increase ACP engagement among older Chinese Americans.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 507-507
Author(s):  
Kaipeng Wang ◽  
Yanqin Liu ◽  
Fei Sun ◽  
Dexia Kong ◽  
Bei Wu

Abstract Family involvement is critical to end-of-life (EOL) care of older adults. Attitude toward family involvement in EOL care can be influenced by family relationship. Yet, mechanisms explaining such influence have not been examined among older Chinese Americans. This study aims to examine the association between family relationship and older Chinese Americans’ attitude toward family involvement in EOL care and explore pathways of this association. Potential mediators include self-efficacy, perceived benefits, and perceived barriers of discussing EOL care with family members. Data were collected from 276 Chinese Americans aged 55+ in two metropolitan areas in 2018. Participants’ average age was 74 years (SD=9.6). Approximately 64% of the sample were female. Most participants (57%) held positive attitudes toward family involvement in EOL care. Using the Structural Equation Modeling method, we found that family relationship had a significant positive total effect on positive attitude toward family involvement in EOL care (z=5.57, p<0.001). Indirect direct of family relationship on attitude toward family involvement in EOL care through both self-efficacy (z=3.13, p<0.01) and perceived barriers (z=2.30, p<0.05) of discussing EOL care with family members was significant. Results suggest that improving family relationship may increase elder’s self-efficacy and reduce barriers of discussing EOL with family members, which is associated with more positive attitude toward family involvement in EOL care. Findings provide empirical evidence of how family relationship affects older Chinese Americans’ attitude toward family involvement in EOL care and underline the need for family-centered interventions for older Chinese Americans.


2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (6) ◽  
pp. 532-539 ◽  
Author(s):  
Han-Lin Chi ◽  
Janine Cataldo ◽  
Evelyn Y. Ho ◽  
Roberta S. Rehm

Introduction: Older Chinese Americans often defer end-of-life care discussions. Researchers sought to explore how to engage older Chinese Americans and their families in end-of-life care discussions and to understand the optimal timing to initiate such discussions. Methods: Individual, semistructured interviews were conducted with 14 community-dwelling older Chinese Americans, 9 adult children, and 7 clinicians. The data were collected and analyzed using focused ethnographic methodology. Results: Older Chinese Americans and their families would discuss end-of-life care when introduced at “optimal times,” which included after-triggering events (e.g., death of loved ones, fall accidents), changes in health status, or advanced age. Discussion: Adult children are not expected to initiate end-of-life care discussions with their parents. Thus, culturally congruent health care that could better engage Chinese Americans in such discussions would be optimized by having clinicians proactively assess their patients’ readiness and initiate such discussion at optimal times.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 471-472
Author(s):  
Kaipeng Wang ◽  
Bei Wu ◽  
Fei Sun ◽  
Dexia Kong ◽  
Yanqin Liu

Abstract Advance Directive (AD) allows older adults to communicate preferred care at the end of life. Numerous studies reported that ethnic minorities were less likely to complete AD then non-Hispanic Whites. However, determinants of AD completion among older Chinese Americans remain unknown. The present study aims to address this knowledge gap. Data came from a survey of 439 Chinese Americans aged from 51 to 103 living in two metropolitan areas in 2018. Participants’ average year was 75 (SD=9.37). About 63% were women and 93% were born outside the US. Approximately 14% of participants completed an AD. Guided by the Andersen’s Service Use Model, we used logistic regression to examine determinants of AD completion. Results show that older age (OR = 1.06, p < 0.01), being employed (OR = 2.63, p < 0.05), acculturation (OR = 2.09, p < 0.001), having US citizenship (OR = 3.57, p < 0.01), and expectation of intergenerational support (OR = 1.84, p < 0.05), were positively associated with AD completion. Physical and mental health needs were not significantly associated with AD completion. This is among the first studies focusing on AD completion among Chinese Americans, one of the fastest growing older minority populations in the US. Findings highlight the influence of socioeconomic and cultural factors on AD completion and illustrates the importance of developing culturally sensitive interventions to promote end-of-life care decision-making among older Chinese Americans.


2021 ◽  
pp. 016402752110187
Author(s):  
Weiyu Mao ◽  
Bei Wu ◽  
Iris Chi ◽  
Wei Yang ◽  
XinQi Dong

Objectives: To investigate the relationship between acculturation and subsequent oral health problems in older Chinese Americans and to further test the moderating role of neighborhood disorder in such a relationship. Methods: The working sample included 2,706 foreign-born community-dwelling older Chinese Americans aged 60 years or older who participated in the Population Study of Chinese Elderly in Chicago at baseline between 2011 and 2013 and the 2-year follow-up between 2013 and 2015. Stepwise Poisson regressions with lagged dependent variable were conducted. Results: Behavioral acculturation was protective against subsequent oral health problems, and the protective role was stronger among individuals reporting lower levels of neighborhood disorder. Residence in Chinatown was associated with an increase in the risk of subsequent oral health problems. Discussion: To reduce oral health symptoms and related burdens, it is important to consider, in practice and policy, the role of acculturation and the neighborhood on subsequent oral health outcomes.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document