Working with Russian-Jewish Immigrants in End-of-Life Care Settings

Abstract

This article examines Russian-Jewish immigrant clients' attitudes toward death and dying in the context of today's health care system. Aspects of individuals' collective past—such as the traumatic history of their country of origin; cultural prohibitions against discussing pain, suffering, and death; and the lack of familiarity with palliative care that are likely to affect their decisions about end-of-life care—are discussed. Case vignettes are provided, with a discussion on how best to engage these clients in therapeutic work.