Religious Cultural Sensitivity in Israel: A Case Study of an Orthodox Jewish Family
Journal Title: Palliative Medicine & Hospice Care – Open Journal - Year 2017, Vol 0, Issue 1
Abstract
The challenges of hospice care can scarcely be overstated, considering that the complexity of managing the physical, psychosocial and spiritual issues of the patient and of the family may seem daunting. The task becomes even greater when accommodating differences in culture and religious beliefs. This study focuses on a case of bridging cultural gaps by a 26-year-old medical student and his modern Orthodox Jewish family in Israel. The patient was diagnosed with aggressive squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue two months before. The authors joined the family as part of his palliative care team in January and accompanied them for 7 months until his death in July. The case was not only medically and psychosocially complex, but religion was an added factor which needed to be carefully managed. The family identified as religiously observant Jews, while the hospice team, although Jewish and familiar with the traditions, identified themselves as secular. The palliative care team worked with the patient and family to provide a course of treatment that was acceptable for both parties. The team worked to alleviate the patient’s suffering and ultimately enabled the patient to have the death of his choice, at home with his family. Identifying as a member of an ethnic group, or as practicing a religion, does not necessarily entail maintaining beliefs that may be associated with ethnicity or religion.1 As a team, we needed to be sensitive to cultural nuances and family dynamics so that the family felt comfortable to share their struggles of faith with us during their son’s/brother’s illness.
Authors and Affiliations
Michael Silbermann
Keywords
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- EP ID EP560823
- DOI 10.17140/PMHCOJ-SE-1-107
- Views 147
- Downloads 0
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