Assessment of needs, challenges, and re-design considerations for culturally sensitive provision and delivery of palliative care supports and services for older adults who prefer to age and die in place in diverse India.

Abstract

As the global older adult population continues to grow, challenges related to managing multiple chronic conditions (MCCs) or multimorbidity underscore the growing need for palliative care. Palliative care preferences and needs vary significantly based on context, location, and culture. As a result, there is a need for more clarity on what constitutes palliative care in diverse settings. Our objective was to present an international perspective on palliative care in India, a culturally diverse and large ancient Eastern middle-income country. In this narrative review article, we considered three questions when re-designing palliative care for older adults aging-in-place in India: (I) what are the needs for palliative care for persons and their families? (II) Which palliative care domains are essential in assessing improvements in the quality of life (QoL)? (III) What patientreported measures are essential considerations for palliative care? To address these questions, we provide recommendations based on the following key domains: social, behavioral, psychological, cultural, spiritual, medical, bereavement, legal, and economic. Using an established and widely reported conceptual framework on aging and health disparities, we provide how these domains map across multiple levels of influence, such as individual or family members, community, institutions, and health systems for achieving the desired QoL. For greater adoption, reach, and accessibility across diverse India, we conclude palliative care must be carefully and systematically re-designed to be culturally appropriate and community-focused, incorporating traditions, individual preferences, language(s), supports and services from educational and health institutions, community organizations and the government. In addition, national government insurance schemes such as the Ayushman Bharat Yojna can include explicit provisions for palliative care so that it is affordable to all, regardless of ability to pay. In summary, our considerations for incorporating palliative care domains to care of whole person and their families, and provision of supports of services from an array of stakeholders broadly apply to culturally diverse older adults aging in place in India and around the globe who prefer to age and die in place.