National Healthcare Decisions Day was celebrated this month, and one advocate is urging people to speak with their loved ones about their plans for death.

According to the Journal of Palliative Medicine, non-white Americans are less likely to have an advanced directive than their white counterparts. As many as two-thirds of older white Americans have one, compared with just 35% of Black Americans and 30% of Hispanic Americans.

The Rev. Charles McNeill, pastor of Unity Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., said planning ahead can avoid disagreements and conflict between family members down the road – and give a person the dignity they deserve as their life ends.

“From a spiritual standpoint, this mortal body’s going to decay,” he said. “So you really want to make sure that you have stuff in order where your family knows your last wishes, what you want, so there won’t be any disputes.”

More than half of Americans lack any form of estate-planning documents whatsoever, from wills to trusts to medical and financial power of attorney.

McNeill said planning ahead allows for the wishes of a person to be followed – and prevents dueling understandings over their health-care desires and how they want their belongings divided.

“Grandma may have told one person, but she didn’t tell somebody else, so you got all this confusion going on,” he said. “So if you write it down and you make everyone aware that this is what Grandma wants, this is what Daddy wants, this is what Mama wants at their last request, that it can be granted.”

Similar disparities also exist in hospice care for Medicare recipients, with rates of use lower in Black communities.

Cover Photo: Large disparities exist in end-of-life care and preparation between older Black, Hispanic and Asian Americans and their white counterparts. Although prior studies suggest that black and Hispanic Americans lack sufficient access to and education about advance care planning, an alternative hypothesis is that these differences reflect inherent cultural differences. (Adobe Stock)

Pastor: Marylanders should plan ahead for end-of-life care was first published by PNS and republished with permission.