Abstract
Traditionally, the family has played a central role in caring for dying Mexican American older adults. More recently, researchers have questioned whether this role is more myth than reality. The study purpose was to compare primary caregivers of Mexican American and Anglo older adults in hospice. A second purpose was to describe the association between type of primary caregiver and use of hospice services for Mexican Americans and Anglos. The design was a secondary analysis of data collected in retrospective chart reviews of Medicare hospice decedents in a Mexican American-dominant community. The primary caregivers of Mexican Americans were children; for Anglos it was paid caregivers. No significant interaction was found between primary caregiver and ethnicity. The relationships were significant between primary caregiver and numbers of hospice visits for registered nurses, social workers, and nurse aides.