Development of the Blackfeet Community Hospice Project: Pilot Workshop

Abstract

Taboo perception on talking about death and dying among American Indians/Alaska Natives is prevalent. This suppressive value makes hospice introduction difficult, leading hospice disparity. Working together by using a community-based participatory research approach over a decade, we conducted a 6-hour workshop including information sharing and group activities. The purpose of the study was to investigate the community readiness for end-of-life knowledge by conducting a public workshop. We used pre- and post-workshop surveys with Likert-type responses to five questions to assess the effect of workshop in end-of-life knowledge. Thirty individuals participated the workshop; 80% of them reported their knowledge increase on at least one question. While the survey had concerns, positive participant responses indicated readiness and appropriateness to use workshops to increase end-of-life knowledge.