Date

12-2019

Document Type

Capstone Project (Open Access)

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

Department

Health, Human Services and Public Policy

Abstract

Central Coast Visiting Nurses Association is a non-profit agency that provides home health care as well as hospice care for individuals in the counties of Monterey, San Benito, Santa Cruz and Santa Clara. In this region, the Latino/ Hispanic communities are underutilizing the services for end of life care. According to statistics provided by VNA 2019, only around 20% of the populations they serve are Latino/ Hispanics. Education on end of life care services is necessary for an individual to have a better understanding and quality of life during the end stage or confronted with a life limiting illness. In Monterey county, according to US Census Bureau 2010, 55% of the population is of Latino/Hispanic ethnicity, and VNA does not have many employees who are Spanish speaking, therefore are unable to present information about end of life care services to Latinos/Hispanics in Spanish, thus creating a problem for the agency. This project was aimed to create awareness in the Latino/Hispanic communities about end of life care services offered through VNA via a Spanish educational presentation on October 7, 2019 held at the Camphora Community Center in South Monterey County. The outcome of creating awareness on end of life care services in a Spanish speaking Latino/ Hispanic community was achieved. All of the participants who attended the Spanish educational presentation identified via a survey they would be interested in or maybe interested in receiving services from VNA, if they were in need of support during end of life.The results of the presentation provided evidence that if VNA creates educational presentations in the language most frequently spoken in a community, in this case Spanish, it overcomes some barriers the agency faces. The services would be accepted by more communities regardless if is a difficult subject to touch, such as end of life care. Future recommendations include more Spanish educational presentations for Latino/Hispanic spanish speaking communities in different areas of the regions they serve.

Included in

Social Work Commons

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