Caring for Older Adults Holistically, 4th Edition
Chapter Seven
Culturally Specific Care
Caring for Older Adults Holistically, 4th Edition
Culture and Ethnicity
 Culture
 Nonphysical traits we inherit
 Ethnicity
 Physical inheritance
 Transcultural nursing
 Caring for the cultural and ethnic aspects of people
 Culturally specific care is the basis for holistic care
 Older adult population becoming more diverse
Caring for Older Adults Holistically, 4th Edition
Black Americans
 Black racial groups from Africa, Jamaica, Haiti,
West Indian Islands, Dominican Republic
 22.1% live in poverty
 Due to poverty, older adult blacks die earlier than
white counterparts
 Value wisdom and knowledge of older adults in
community
Caring for Older Adults Holistically, 4th Edition
Black Americans
 Body, mind, and spirit interconnected
 Many in black community are Muslim
 Religious beliefs important to lifestyle, including
diet; do not eat pork
 Sickle cell anemia exists only in black people
 Higher incidence of death from stroke, coronary
heart disease, and prostate cancer
Caring for Older Adults Holistically, 4th Edition
Native Americans
 Predominantly live in 26 states, mostly in the
western states
 Many live on reservations but also in urban areas
 560 native American tribes in United States
 Each has own culture, folklore, and folk medicine
 Importance of Mother Earth and living in harmony
with nature
Caring for Older Adults Holistically, 4th Edition
Native Americans
 Illness is a price to pay for current or future bad
behavior
 Traditional tribes have medicine man or woman
usually called a Shaman
 One-third live in poverty
 High incidence of malnutrition, tuberculosis, high
maternal and infant death rates, diabetes mellitus,
alcoholism
Caring for Older Adults Holistically, 4th Edition
Native Americans
 Close family bonds, respect for elders
 Personal health questions seen as probing and
disrespectful
Caring for Older Adults Holistically, 4th Edition
Asian Americans
 12 million Asian Americans in the United States
 Asian refers to individuals with origins in Far East
Asia, Southeast Asia, and India
 Highest median income of any foreign born group
 Respect wisdom of older people
 Address older person with his or her formal name
using Mr. or Mrs.
Caring for Older Adults Holistically, 4th Edition
Asian Americans
 Never give a command to an older Asian adult;
seen as insult
 Older adults taken care of at home by family
 May use herbs, acupuncture, acupressure,
cupping, spirituality
Caring for Older Adults Holistically, 4th Edition
European Americans
 Generally have white skin
 Each European country its own cultural beliefs
 European countries have national health care
plans that provide socialized medicine
Caring for Older Adults Holistically, 4th Edition
Hispanic Americans
 Second largest minority group in the United
States
 Immigrants for Mexico, South and Central
America, Puerto Rico, Cuba, and Spain
 Live in large multi-generational family households
 More likely to be unemployed compared to nonHispanic whites
Caring for Older Adults Holistically, 4th Edition
Hispanic Americans
 More likely than non-Hispanic whites to live in
poverty
 Traditional Hispanics believe that good health is
good luck
 Illness seen as punishment for wrongdoings
 Use amulets, herbs, and spices
 Assume responsibility of caring for their elderly
Caring for Older Adults Holistically, 4th Edition
Hispanic Americans
 Due to increase in poverty, more susceptible to
malnutrition, tuberculosis, and homicide
 Time is a relative event
 Older Hispanics slow to come into the health care
system
 Treat “hot” diseases with “cold” remedies
Caring for Older Adults Holistically, 4th Edition
Jewish Americans
 50% of all Jews in the world live in the United
States
 80% of Jewish Americans have a college
education
 Traditional Jews recognize two aspects of
health—spirit and body
 Maintaining good health is an expectation
 Modern medicine is encouraged
Caring for Older Adults Holistically, 4th Edition
Jewish Americans
 Traditional Jews eat a kosher diet
 Avoid mixing meat and dairy products
 Cannot eat shellfish and pork