Palliative and End-of-Life Care in Newfoundland's Deaf Community

The Deaf community is a distinct cultural and linguistic community (the uppercase D is a cultural identification). Compared to the general population, the Deaf community, as a social group, experiences poorer health status. Deaf people seek care less frequently than the general population and have fewer interactions with the health system. Their encounters with the health system are often characterized by communication difficulties, fear, mistrust, and frustration. Qualitative research was used to explore the experiences of family caregivers who provided end-of-life care for a Deaf person. Key findings indicate that the Deaf community has limited understanding of their options for palliative and end-of-life care. Communication and health literacy are key barriers to accessing appropriate end-of-life care. Pain and symptom management, consideration of physical environments, and limited access to bereavement care are common issues faced by Deaf people when caring for loved ones at the end of life.