"I'm not putting my dad away"

Visiting my father one day I notified a nurse that my dads foot was bothering him. She checked on my dad immediately and I found out my dad stops by her office daily to chat. I stopped by to say thank you on my way out and she spoke with me about hospice. At first I thought it was strange and maybe inappropriate to have the conversation with me, since I didn't ask, but reading about hospice care and the small number of African Americans who are under hospice care I now understand. Between racial disparities, mistrust with health systems, and add not seeing someone who looks like you and caring for you, I understood the why's. I work in healthcare I see it and I've experienced it first hand in my own care. Hence, why surveys can have a different feel as a black person and questions don't resonate the same for the experience in healthcare, but that's a conversation for another day. My father is in hospice and it makes sense for me and my family. The apprehension was my lack of knowledge and growing up witnessing people being cared for in their living rooms by family members and you died in your house. In my mind that's how it was supposed to happen because black people didn't place their loved ones in nursing homes and refused hospice care or as I heard growing up, "putting my mom away", this was considered to be "shameful". This experience though difficult has been a life line for me and my family because hospice provides the care, compassion and knowledge for my dad's journey. Meeting with his team this week, they are in 100%, they care for my father in ways I could never imagine and the knowledge they share with me has brought me comfort. What have I learned as a Patient Experience professional? Not every patient or family you meet has the same story as you, race, background, and culture play a huge role in people's lives and helping people understand difficulties is what makes the experience better.