Cultural Diversity and Geriatric Care

Learn how to manage effectively the concerns related to the aging of the multicultural population. As this population increases, health practitioners are dealing not only with more older patients, but also with greater diversity among older patients and their families. Socio-cultural factors such as race, ethnicity, culture, and religion affect health-promoting and health-seeking behaviors of individuals and institutionals and affect access and delivery of health services. Cultural Diversity and Geriatric Care provides an educational context in which readers can envision equitable and beneficial care of culturally diverse elderly people and helps readers face some of these concerns and share in their solutions. Cultural Diversity and Geriatric Care treats the subject from the perspective of cultural relativity and cross-cultural comparison. Chapters stress the importance of communication to bridge differing expectations, expressions, and experiences of health care. Covering an array of topics, the contributing authors: discuss cultural and social differences among elderly people and their health care providers review demographic and epidemiologic studies of differences in health status among major ethnic and minority categories of elders in the United States examine the elderly's use of health care services, reasons for variations in use, and a framework for providers to address needs review benefits and problems created by diversity within interdisciplinary care teams and discuss ways to improve training effectiveness describe a three-year multidisciplinary program incorporating ethnic and cultural content into geriatric clinical education and training examine the relationship between family caregiving and health care professionals across settings of geriatric rehabilitation overview the rich diversity in cultural meanings and social actions attached to death and dyingTargeted research and education is necessary to assure that health professionals can provide care that is both high quality and equitable. Cultural Diversity and Geriatric Care is a valuable guide to help individuals working in the health care field better understand all their patients and thus provide more effective care.