What Y'all Gon' Do with Me?

Study after study has shown that African-Americans more frequently and more adamantly demand life-sustaining medical treatment. This is largely due to distrust and miscommunication. To address this, the Kansas City Hospice & Palliative Care and African-American author and social worker Gloria Thomas Anderson have released a booklet addressesing end-of-life Care issues of African Americans titled What Y’all Gon’ Do With Me?

"Long-held cultural beliefs and a historical mistrust of the health care system are the major reasons hospice and palliative care are used far less by blacks than by whites, according to a recent study. . . . The booklet addresses the historical, cultural and family values that influence African Americans’ health care decisions, and covers the spiritual, practical and legal considerations in end-of-life care." Anderson said, “I hope the information in this booklet empowers African Americans to make the best health care decisions before they are unable to communicate what they want for themselves.” “I want African Americans to know that end-of-life care isn’t about giving up. It’s about quality of life.”