A cultural analysis of New Zealand palliative care brochures.

Low utilization of palliative care services by Māori remains despite increases in services designed to meet Māori needs. The purpose of this study is to explore palliative care information brochures in the context of Māori principles of well-being and communication protocols, and health literacy. We examined 99 brochures from palliative care services in New Zealand and held two focus groups with 12 Māori elders (kaumātua) and extended family (whanau) members.

Managing communication tensions and challenges during the end-of-life journey: perspectives of Māori kaumātua and their whānau.

The purpose of this study is to explore the cultural practices and communication tensions perceived among Māori kaumātua (elders) and their whānaunga (extended family) during the end-of-life journey. Further, the study aims to explore the manner in which the tensions are managed. The study was framed by relational dialectics theory and included interviews with 21 kaumātua and focus groups with 39 whānau members.