Advance care planning among older adults of Moroccan origin: An interview-based study

To explore advance care planning (ACP)-related knowledge, experience, views, facilitators and barriers among older Moroccan adults in Belgium.

General practitioners (GPs) recruited participants for semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed using the constant comparative method.

The 25 interviewees (average age, 74 years) lacked ACP knowledge and had not discussed it with healthcare professionals. After a brief explanation, most interviewees did not find ACP useful. After more explanation with a specific example, they had fewer religious objections and were more willing to have discussions with their GPs and/or relatives. ACP barriers were a lack of knowledge, current good health, potential harm of talking about death, trust in one's children to make care decisions and fear of worrying one's children. Facilitators were GPs' information provision, children's involvement in ACP discussions and the desire to not depend on children.

Many older Moroccan adults lacked familiarity, but were willing to discuss ACP after receiving understandable concrete information. GPs should facilitate ACP discussions for these patients, ideally with adult children involved, with consideration of barriers, individual preferences and generally low educational levels.

GPs should provide comprehensible ACP information with case examples and consider potential barriers and facilitators in this group.