Abstract
Knowledge of particular cultural requirements is especially important in times of transition such as at the end of life, where issues of death and dying require great sensitivity to cultural and religious differences. Healthcare professionals need to understand different cultures and deliver care accordingly. This article explores the cultural aspects of end of life care among Hindus who live in places other than India and is based on a study of Hindus in Australia. The purpose of this study was to investigate the experience of families of terminally ill Indian patients. This article will explore aspects of the Hindu faith and their implications of nurses, specifically in the context of end of life care. It will outline the rituals and ceremonies that help a Hindu have a good death and which have meaning for families and friends. It is acknowledged that care settings may not be able to cater all the practices discussed. However, it is hoped that greater understanding of the Hindu philosophy will encourage nurses to facilitate a more sympathetic environment for a dying person and their family at the end of life.
Sigma Membership
Eta Pi
Type
Article
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Literature Review
Research Approach
N/A
Keywords:
Palliative Care Nursing, Culture, Death and Dying, End-of-Life Care, Hindus
Recommended Citation
Shanmugasundaram, Sujatha; O'Connor, Margaret; and Sellick, Ken, "Culturally competent care at the end of life- A Hindu perspective" (2024). General Submissions: Clinical Settings Materials. 3.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/gen_sub_csm/3
Identifier Type
ISSN
Publisher
St Christopher Hospice, London, UK
Version
Post-print
Rights Holder
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All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository.
All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Peer-review: Single Blind
Acquisition
Self-submission
Full Text of Presentation
wf_yes
Description
The journal (End of Life Care) ceased publication in November 2010. There will be open access to the archives. To visit the new online journal's web site (End of Life Journal), and locate the as-published version of this article, please cut and paste the following link to the journal's homepage into your browser's address field: http://endoflifejournal.stchristophers.org.uk/