“Hospice Helps Everyone” Message Reaching Latino Communities

The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s “Moments of Life: Made Possible by Hospice” campaign has released a new video translated in Spanish and showcases the benefits of hospice care. “Un Baile Para Gloria” features Gloria, an 85 year-old Latina and former schoolteacher from Pueblo, Colorado, who suffers from COPD, a condition that confines her to her home. The video which was first produced in English, was translated to Spanish to use for outreach in the Latino community where hospice utilization is disproportionately low.

Gloria is cared for by Sangre de Cristo Hospice. The video features a special event her care team organized to honor her love of culture, music, dance, and prayer. Gloria’s care team honors her Latino heritage as well. One of Gloria’s caregivers, Carolina, is bilingual and speaks Spanish with Gloria during her visits. Carolina helps Gloria with her baths and showers. Having a caregiver who can speak to the patient in their native tongue can add ease to a situation that can be very stressful and uncomfortable.

“We are thrilled to release this video that highlights the benefits hospice can provide to all communities including the Latino population,” says NHPCO President and CEO, J. Donald Schumacher. “Many hospice providers serve diverse populations and it’s essential to understand each community’s end-of-life cultural beliefs and attitudes."

 According to Tarrah Schreiner, chief executive officer at Sangre de Cristo Hospice, many people on the team can speak Spanish.  Southern Colorado has a large Latino population and the organization services several Latino families like Gloria’s.

To support the work of hospice providers that service Latino communities, NHPCO’s Latino Outreach Guide is available online, free of charge. The guide outlines key principles and insights to help hospices better serve this diverse community.  

Gloria’s video is part of the “Moments of Life” public awareness campaign launched by NHPCO in 2014. The campaign features stories from hospices and palliative care programs across the United States of patients and families experiencing hospice and palliative care first hand. The “Moments of Life” website includes information in Spanish that helps explain hospice care and advance care planning. 

Gloria pictured with the Grupo Xochitl dance troop.