The purpose of this course is to examine the ways health professionals interact cross-culturally with older adult patients and patients at the end-of-life. Our hope is that if we attend to cultural differences and improve our cultural competence in the workplace, we will provide better care.

In developing a better sense of cultural variety, you will improve your abilities . . .

1. to look for risks for disease that might be informed by the customary behaviors of our patients.
2. to recognize limitations in older adults’ access to care, with an awareness of the accumulating effects of those limitations on our patients’ well-being.
3. to be aware of disparities in treatment of disease within our health care system so that we can extend ourselves to patients who may have received inappropriate treatment.
4. to encourage older patients, their families, and health professionals to work together to understand a patient’s conditions and possible treatments.
5. to develop meaningful discussions between older patients and health professionals about treatment goals, and to encourage mutually acceptable treatment plans and regimens.
6. to encourage adherence to mutually agreed upon care.
7. to help to maintain a good quality of life for older adults.
8. to facilitate decision-making in a culturally sensitive manner.
9. to identify each individual as a unique being, not necessarily adherent to any one specified culture.