Serving the Phoenix Community with Culturally Sensitive Care

2024 DATOS Arizona Book
Published by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
by Lin Sue Flood

When Isidora Dominguez’s doctor suggested it was time for hospice, her daughter Gladis wasn’t sure what to expect. She had no idea that a bilingual care team would come to their home to provide comfort, dignity and compassionate care to her 82-year-old mother––and three generations of their family.

“Hospice is help, trust and hope,” Gladis discovered. “It’s important that we share that message with other Hispanic families.”  

Unfortunately, many families in the Hispanic community do not seek this support, often due to cultural misconceptions about hospice care.

Hospice of the Valley social worker Suzanne Sanchez co-hosts a radio program on La Onda  (1190 AM) to help dispel myths about hospice care.

“In Spanish, the term hospice translates to hospicio, which is primarily an institution for the mentally ill,” Sanchez says. “In this country, hospice helps families care for a loved one with a terminal illness in the comfort of home, so they’re not alone.”

Studies show hospice care greatly enhances quality of life.

“Correcting cultural perceptions is difficult,” says Hospice of the Valley volunteer coordinator Elizabeth Avina, who grew up in Guadalajara, “especially since Latinos traditionally do not like to talk about death and are afraid it might upset the person who is ill.”

Hospice of the Valley, which has been serving the local community for 47 years, is the only nonprofit hospice in Maricopa County––caring for all in need, regardless of financial resources. It recognized early on that bilingual care teams were needed to ensure that Spanish-speaking families have access to hospice services.

“We work together to break down cultural and language barriers about hospice,” says nurse Connie Phillips Mendoza, a Mexican native who leads Hospice of the Valley’s after-hours department. “We want to make sure people are aware of all that is available to them, especially those without consistent healthcare.”

Dedicated teams of bilingual doctors, nurses, nursing assistants, social workers and chaplains provide culturally sensitive patient care wherever patients live––in Maricopa County, as well as northern Pinal County and Tucson. Hispanic volunteers are matched with Spanish-speaking patients to offer companionship and give family members a break from caregiving.

“Everybody wants the best care, love and respect. That’s universal. That’s why it’s so important to be able to communicate with my patients in Spanish,” says Giancarlo Fratiglioni, a Venezuelan-born nurse for Hospice of the Valley.

A Spanish Help Line is available 24/7 so families can reach a Spanish speaker any time of day or night with questions or urgent needs. Hispanic families served by Hospice of the Valley can receive grief support from Spanish-speaking bereavement counselors. In addition, free grief support groups such as Luz del Corazόn (tailored specifically for Spanish and bilingual speakers) are open to anyone in the community mourning a death.

Hospice of the Valley continues to expand supportive care programs to serve families long before hospice services are needed––managing chronic illness like cancer and heart disease, as well as improving the quality of life for those living with Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia.

This comprehensive in-home support prevents hospitalization and helps family members nurture their own well-being while caring for their loved ones. Hospice care is fully covered as a Medicare benefit. Even those without Medicare or insurance can be assured they will receive exceptional care.

“It is our goal, each and every day, to educate the Hispanic community that this beautiful care exists to support and keep families together,” says Hospice of the Valley nurse Erica Coronado, who was part of the team that cared for Isidora Dominguez.

Her daughter Gladis just hopes more people get to experience the same “legado para el cuidado”––legacy of caring––that her family did.

Lin Sue Flood is the community engagement director for Hospice of the Valley. She was a news anchor (Lin Sue Cooney) in Phoenix at KPNX-12 for 31 years and was inspired to join Hospice of the Valley by the excellent care a family member received.