Background: Behavioral health disorders are common among patients and caregivers in the hospice setting. Yet, limited data exist regarding what hospice providers perceive as the most common and challenging behavioral health disorders they encounter and how they manage these issues in practice.
Objective: To characterize the perspectives of hospice medical directors (HMDs) on addressing the behavioral health challenges when caring for patients enrolled in home hospice care and their family caregivers.
Context: Informal Black or African American (Black/AA) caregivers are at high risk for caregiver burden due to both greater caregiving responsibilities and unmet needs. However, there has been minimal research on the challenges Black/AA caregivers face after hospice enrollment.
Objectives: This study seeks to address this knowledge gap by applying qualitative methods to understand Black/AA caregivers' experiences around symptom management, cultural, and religious challenges during home hospice care.