As the cultural diversity of older adults in the United States grows, clinicians are very likely to encounter older patients from a wide range of ethnic groups. The purpose of this app is to provide cross-cultural assistance to clinicians with older patients from minority groups. The Geriatrics Cultural Navigator outlines factors for the practitioner to reflect upon before interacting with a patient.
The quality of any encounter between a healthcare provider (HCP) and a patient from a different background depends on the clinicians skill and sensitivity. An understanding of the issues that affect older adults from different cultures will help clinicians care effectively for these patients.
Culture influences treatment priorities, compliance, end-of-life issues, and many other critical aspects of healthcare. Like their patients, physicians and other health care professionals also bring their own cultural attitudes to the clinical encounter. It is important to remember, however, that wide differences occur among individuals within each group, and that each patient is a unique individual. Also, the degree of acculturation in older persons ranges along a broad spectrum.
This app has been written by clinicians and educators who are from the same background as each group, or who have extensive experience working with a specific ethnic group. Their experience and scholarship provide valuable insight for all clinicians working with older patients from a broad range of ethnic and cultural origins.