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Wednesday, Compassion & Choices applauded the African-American Mayors Association (AAMA) and Talladega Mayor Tim Ragland (above) for adopting a resolution to educate, empower and advocate around end-of-life care for African-American communities.
The resolution was sponsored by Mayor Tim Ragland of Talladega, Alabama, and passed unanimously at the mayor’s February 2021 meeting.
“We salute AAMA for their unwavering leadership and pledge to better educate African-American communities about end-of-life care options, such as hospice and palliative care,” said Brandi Alexander, national director of community engagement for Compassion & Choices. “Historically, African-Americans have experienced disparities in health care outcomes at all stages of life. AAMA’s resolution is an important step in helping ensure more African-Americans have access to education and resources dedicated to end-of-life care.”
“This resolution acknowledges the urgent need for educating our community about the alarming disparity, access and education around end-of-life care,” said resolution sponsor and Talladega, Alabama Mayor Tim Ragland, “The AAMA believes African-Americans should have access to information about end-of-life planning so each individual can decide what is best for them, in consultation with their doctor and family and with their faith.”
There are health disparities in many aspects of end-of-life care in the Black community. According to the National Hospice and Palliative Care Association, only 8% of hospice users are African-American. The National Center for Health notes that 13% of African-Americans have a living will in place compared with 32% of whites. A 2016 Journal of Palliative Medicine study reported that only 24% of African-Americans were likely to complete advance directives compared to 44% of whites.
The full resolution can be seen here.
For more information, visit: ourmayors.org
More information is available at: compassionandchoices.org
