- The time of death is often heavily invested with cultural and religious ritual (Koeing 1997).
- Such rituals frequently give rise to cross-cultural misunderstandings or frank conflict with standard hospital procedures. For example, in some cultures only same-sex workers should touch the body (Hallenbeck 1996; Hallenbeck 1999).
- When dealing with a family from an unfamiliar ethnic group or religion, the clinician should inquire, ideally in advance, if any special accommodations need to be made for cultural or religious reasons (Hallenbeck 2002).
- If not done previously, the clinician should ask if the family wishes to speak with a chaplain or other spiritual advisor.
- When in doubt, seek assistance from someone familiar with that culture or religion (Pickett 1993; Lo 2002).
- A tool developed by Pulchalski for addressing spirituality in patients or families is presented in the table below (Puchalski 2002).
In Mr. Stanton’s situation, a history of religious disagreement among members of his family caused him and his daughter guilt, anxiety, and anger.