Long-Term Care and Cultural Competence

The United States has historically been a melting pot of cultures. Today the population has changed because many immigrants are now older than past immigrants, are frequently retired, and have chronic diseases that need careful management. Health care providers need to be culturally competent to deliver effective health care to these diverse populations. Over the years, health care systems and providers have become much more aware of the needs of minority populations. They accommodate language differences and individuals' ingrained beliefs that may affect health care and learn how to ask the questions that will elicit the information they need to treat patients. Today, while the American health care system meets more of the needs of minority populations, the needs of smaller minority populations may languish or be overshadowed by the unique needs of individual groups or difficult experiences or immigration histories, such as Cambodian immigrants, Indian Asians, and even veterans of U.S. conflicts. This article makes the case for greater cultural competence and offers ideas and suggestions that can be applied to any small minority population.