Older Adults of Underrepresented Populations and Their End-of-Life Preferences

An Integrative Review

Abstract

This integrative review was conducted to examine the evidence for understanding diversity in end-of-life preferences among older adults of underrepresented groups. Findings from 21 studies were critically examined, grouped, and compared across studies, populations, and settings. Five major themes emerged: advance directives, hospice and palliative care, communication, knowledge and information, and home and family. Despite multidisciplinary attention, content and methodological limitations narrowed understanding of what matters most to these groups when making decisions at end of life. Rigorous longitudinal studies with more ethnically diverse samples are needed to detect modifiable factors related to disparities at the end of life.

In Brief

This integrative review was conducted to examine the evidence for understanding diversity in end-of-life preferences among older adults of underrepresented groups. Findings from 21 studies were critically examined, grouped, and compared across studies, populations, and settings. Five major themes emerged: advance directives; hospice and palliative care; communication; knowledge and information; and home and family.