%0 Case Reports
%T Questioning Capacity in an Elderly Jamaican Man with Terminal Cancer Exhibiting Near-Death Awareness: A Case Report and Review of Literature.
%A Pan CX
%A Thomson K
%A Costa BA
%A Morris J
%J J Palliat Med
%V 24
%N 9
%D Sep 2021
%M 33970707
%F 2.947
%R 10.1089/jpm.2020.0785
%X Background: Near-death awareness (NDA) refers to visions and dreams commonly experienced by terminally ill individuals within months to hours before death. Methods: A case report of a 68-year-old Jamaican male diagnosed with advanced cholangiocarcinoma, who experienced visions of his deceased mother during hospitalization. Results: This article discusses how to differentiate NDA from delirium, core components for determining decisional capacity, and how clinicians can use a cultural guide to optimize patient-centered care. Conclusion: Improved recognition of NDA may promote cultural humility/competency and help to differentiate NDA from an underlying medical/psychiatric condition. It may assist the clinician in understanding the significance of NDA and the comfort and meaning these experiences may hold for both the individual and their family.