Issues in Caring for Afghan American Elders: Insights from Literature and a Focus Group

Abstract

Clinicians providing care for older Afghan refugees need to be aware of the importance of respecting the practices of Islam, especially using same sex providers. Allowing for Muslim practices in the hospital is also important, such as washing before daily prayers, not serving pork products (e.g. gelatin), and having the bed face Mecca (Southeast) for prayers, especially for a dying patient.

Religious Values and Healthcare Accommodations: Voices from the American Muslim Community

“…Discussions of gender relations were most prominent in our female focus groups; however, both men and women noted these challenges, confirming findings from Afghan, Somali, South Asian and other Muslim groups. [18][19][20][21][22] Our findings reinforce prior research demonstrating that lack of provision for some type of gender-concordant care leads to delayed healthcareseeking within this community. 19,[22][23][24] While in the outpatient and non-urgent setting, it may be possible to choose a physician based on a gender preference, in the hospital setting, or for urgent and specialized medical conditions, greater challenges exist.…”

American Muslim Perceptions of Healing

“…Researchers working with Somali immigrants, South Asians, and Arab Americans found these groups to have a holistic conception of health that incorporated social, physical, and spiritual domains. Therefore, in this population, illness might be interpreted as related to spiritual dissonance, and religious practices can be viewed as ameliorating illness and promoting health (DeShaw, 2006; Jan & Smith, 1998; Morioka-Douglas et al, 2004; Pavlish et al, 2010; Shah et al, 2008; Tirodkar et al, 2010; Ypinazar & Margolis, 2006). This resonance of health beliefs across multiple segments within the American Muslim population, and from the diverse groups within our sample, substantiates a need to better understand the linkages between religious beliefs and practices and health care expectations.…”

“…The authors noted that the acceptance of medical treatments was mediated by a sense of concordance within this holistic conception of health (Jan & Smith, 1998). In a similar fashion, Afghan American elders residing in California reported their health being tied to Islamic adherence, and thus used various religious practices as a means for healing (Morioka-Douglas, Sacks, & Yeo, 2004). In a study of South Asian Americans, Muslim participants consistently evoked spiritual factors such as performance of prayer as health promoting (Tirodkar et al, 2010).…”

Religious Practices and Self-Care in Iranian Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

“…The Holy Quran says: ''Howa al-shafi,'' which means the curer is God (Iranian Institute for Science and Research Expansion 1992) or ''Call on me; I will answer your prayer'' (Translation of Quran 2015). Some Muslim patients experience physical and psychological benefits from practices such as prayer, fasting, and recitation of the Qur'an (Carroll et al 2007;Morioka-Douglas et al 2004;Rezaei et al 2008). Muslims may use Islamic healing practices to supplement the treatments offered by the healthcare professionals, or as an alternative to those treatments (Padela and Curlin 2013).…”