Preparing for Life's Only Guarantee: The Space for Religion in African-American Advance Care Planning
A. Maria Mugweru, Postdoctoral Associate, Duke Divinity School
One of the worst locations for a family reunion is bedside, in a hospital, following the unplanned admittance of a loved one. Beginning the end-of-life conversation in this moment of intense shock and grief is an immense task to undertake especially when the human condition and the medical standard is to prolong life at all costs, unless documented wishes state otherwise. While nothing can lessen the difficulty of facing death’s claims, having an advanced directive offers a way for individuals to grant their families peace when a difficult, life-ending decision is desired.
Since 2015, a national network of healthcare professionals, academics, clergy, and researchers have annually convened with a threefold aim: (1) Increase African-American participation in Advance Care Planning activities throughout their lifespan; (2) Increase African-American participation in hospice and palliative care therapies; and (3) Create a deeply vibrant, theologically grounded database of resources to assist African-American clergy on what it means to live well and die faithfully.
The African-American Advance Care Planning and Palliative Care Network (the “AA ACP/PC Network”) is working with the Black church community to incorporate theological reflections into Advance Care Planning conversations. The AA ACP/PC Network seeks to address the hesitations African-Americans have in early end-of-life planning and equip the Black church—a place of comfort, information, and trust—with materials to thoughtfully approach the conversation from a Christian perspective. Through this engagement, the AA ACP/PC Network hopes to create a thoughtful resource database of theological-based materials for clergy and congregants to refer to when beginning and continuing end-of-life discussions within and among their congregations; and, to strengthen the net of community leaders advocating for increased Advance Care Planning participation in the African-American and other communities of color.
This paper offers the work of the AA ACP/PC Network as an extended case study designed to consider the hesitations of African-Americans when discussing end-of-life care, brainstorm ways to increase hospice and palliative care awareness and participation in the African-American community, and collect resources to further equip the Black church community in Advance Care Planning conversations. In the course of doing so, this paper will explore how end-of-life responses grounded in the Christian theological concepts of living well, dying faithfully, and maintaining hope, will help further end-of-life conversations within the African-American community. The AA ACP/PC Network’s goal is to equip the Black church with Advance Care Planning learning resources so the unplanned bedside events allow families to spend more time in communion and less time in distress.
Since 2015, a national network of healthcare professionals, academics, clergy, and researchers have annually convened with a threefold aim: (1) Increase African-American participation in Advance Care Planning activities throughout their lifespan; (2) Increase African-American participation in hospice and palliative care therapies; and (3) Create a deeply vibrant, theologically grounded database of resources to assist African-American clergy on what it means to live well and die faithfully.
The African-American Advance Care Planning and Palliative Care Network (the “AA ACP/PC Network”) is working with the Black church community to incorporate theological reflections into Advance Care Planning conversations. The AA ACP/PC Network seeks to address the hesitations African-Americans have in early end-of-life planning and equip the Black church—a place of comfort, information, and trust—with materials to thoughtfully approach the conversation from a Christian perspective. Through this engagement, the AA ACP/PC Network hopes to create a thoughtful resource database of theological-based materials for clergy and congregants to refer to when beginning and continuing end-of-life discussions within and among their congregations; and, to strengthen the net of community leaders advocating for increased Advance Care Planning participation in the African-American and other communities of color.
This paper offers the work of the AA ACP/PC Network as an extended case study designed to consider the hesitations of African-Americans when discussing end-of-life care, brainstorm ways to increase hospice and palliative care awareness and participation in the African-American community, and collect resources to further equip the Black church community in Advance Care Planning conversations. In the course of doing so, this paper will explore how end-of-life responses grounded in the Christian theological concepts of living well, dying faithfully, and maintaining hope, will help further end-of-life conversations within the African-American community. The AA ACP/PC Network’s goal is to equip the Black church with Advance Care Planning learning resources so the unplanned bedside events allow families to spend more time in communion and less time in distress.