Recently, it was announced by officials in Colorado that they would be funding culturally responsive health care in that state. While many people applauded this as a great move, many others were left asking the question, what is culturally responsive care?
Culturally responsive care is medical care (or senior care, in our case) that takes the cultural background of the individual into account when providing service. While many of us that have lived in the U.S. our whole lives are used to doing things in a certain way–including getting medical attention–it’s important to remember that this is not the only way to approach issues. Cultural norms and practices are very different in some parts of the world. When these differences are taken into account when care is given, the end result is that the person seeking help gets the attention that they deserve, feels more respected, and is more likely to continue to engage with those that are helping them. It helps build stronger relationships, both personally and at the community level.
Culture isn’t just nationality or race. It also involves spiritual beliefs and practices, LGBTQ status, family practices, and more. Some of these things we might be aware of, some of them might be completely new.
Culturally responsive care, and a culturally sensitive and humble approach to working with people places the person in need as the expert when it comes to their own health and needs. It acknowledges that just because I do things a certain way doesn’t necessarily mean that this is the only way or the best way to handle an issue. For some, this has become the norm when doing life. But it is a new way of thinking for others.
We all have a lot to learn when it comes to the needs of other people. It’s so easy to stick to the things that we’ve always done and assume that this is the way that things should be done, but that’s simply not true. We have things to learn, just like we have things that we can teach others about. That’s not to say that what works best for me will work for you. But being more aware of these differences can help us all to improve ourselves and the services that we provide to the community.
If you’d like to learn more about how in-home care places the needs of the person requiring assistance first, please feel free to reach out. We love talking about in-home care and senior care in general. We would love to answer your questions or even sit down with you during a free consultation. Even though we personally still have a lot to learn, we would be happy to talk about your family’s needs and how in-home care might help you all to achieve them.
After all, an honest conversation is how understanding is achieved. It’s how we get to know each other better and be sensitive and more accepting of our differences. We’d love to start the conversation with you. Feel free to give us a call today.
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