New Video Communicates the Benefits of Hospice Care to Diverse Audience

Grandma Luk and her hospice nurse.

The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization is thrilled to release a video translated in Mandarin highlighting how hospice care can help patients and families navigate end-of-life challenges.  “The Journey of Grandma Luk” is part of the “Moments of Life: Made Possible by Hospice” campaign, a national public awareness campaign created by NHPCO to help the public understand how hospice and palliative care supports patients and families live as fully as possible, despite a terminal illness.

The story features an 88 year old Brooklyn resident originally from China matriarchnamed Sheung Lung Luk. Grandma Luk, as she came to be known, received hospicecare after being diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. It was under the care of MJHS Hospice and Palliative Care that Grandma Luk’s pain was stabilized and she was able to enjoy doing the things she loved most.  As seen in this story, the family was particularly relieved to have the support of a hospice nurse who could communicate with them in Chinese. 

This video is the first in the campaign to be translated in Chinese, and is now showcased on the “Moments of Life” website. The decision to add Chinese resources is part of a larger diversity initiative at NHPCO.  As shown in NHPCO’s Facts and Figures, “Patients of Minority (non-Caucasian) race accounted for about one quarter of hospice patients in 2014.”

To support the work of hospice providers, a newly-revised version of NHPCO’s Chinese Outreach Guide is now available online, free of charge. The guide outlines key principles and insights to help hospices better serve this diverse community. Additional resources made available for Mandarin Chinese speaking families include the brochures: 

• Hospice,  
• Palliative Care, 
• Understanding Advance Directives,  
• Understanding the Dying Process 
• There is No Right or Wrong Way to Grieve After a Loss.