Advance Directives from a Social Work Perspective

A review of the literature since the year 2000 erases all doubt about the increasing cultural, racial, ethnic, and religious diversity of the United States, which has ushered in demographic trends that lead to complex sociocultural care dynamics and the likelihood that our patients’ values may not be concordant with those of traditional Western-based medicine. Palliative social workers face the challenge of implementing and evaluating healthcare practices and approaches that effectively and respectfully meet the demands of diverse populations in need of serious illness care. Moreover, care for diverse patients and families with life-limiting illness is compromised when there is a lack of understanding about culturally bound treatment preferences and or distrust for the healthcare system. This chapter recommends cultural competence in advance care planning as a means for equipping social workers with the tools needed to engage individuals and family members in conversations early and increase the utilization of advance directives among diverse populations.