Clark, J. L., Phoenix, S., Bilbrey, A. C., McManis, T., Escal, K. A., Arulanantham, R., Sisay, T., & Ghatak, R. (2018). Cultural competency in dementia care: An African American case study. Clin Gerontol, 41(3), 255–260. Web.
The article by Clark et al. investigates the impact of cultural competency in dementia care for the African American population. The researchers’ main argument is that healthcare providers should respect African Americans’ cultural expectations and social vulnerabilities since they have the highest risk of developing the condition (Clark et al., 2018). The authors examine the topic of cultural sensitivity and claim that it leads to better engagement of patients and their families in dementia treatment. The point of the study is to demonstrate that cultural competency may decrease health disparities and improve the outcomes of ethnically diverse patients. Using the Memory Support Program (MSP), the researchers developed recommendations on the importance of trust, healthcare, and cultural competency of medical staff for African American dementia patients.
The source is valuable as it examines a real-life case of an African American woman with dementia, followed by the recommendations for the improvement of care. Since my paper is focused on the impact of culture in dementia care, the peer-reviewed article serves as a source of reliable and objective information on the culturally competent dementia treatment. Moreover, the article is useful for my research, as it focuses on the psychological, social, and cultural peculiarities of African American patients. The study helps to shape my argument by providing evidence that culturally diverse dementia patients require special care. The MSP data might be used in my research project as a source of evidence illustrating dementia risk factors for African Americans and the impact of cultural competency on patient outcomes. The study changed my view of the topic, as it allowed me to consider it from the perspective of the dementia patient’s caregivers and family.
Richardson, V. E., Fields, N., Won, S., Bradley, E., Gibson, A., Rivera, G., & Holmes, S. D. (2019). At the intersection of culture: Ethnically diverse dementia caregivers’ service use. Dementia, 18(5), 1790–1809. Web.
The article by Richardson et al., published in an international peer-reviewed journal Dementia, utilizes an ethnocultural approach and focuses on the experiences of African American, Hispanic, and South Korean caregivers. The study’s main argument is that caregivers’ knowledge of dementia and their attitudes towards caring and the use of formal services depend on their cultural background (Richardson et al., 2019). The research aims to examine the impact of cultural factors on ethnically diverse caregivers and their opinions regarding formal services. The study covers the topic of culturally targeted intervention and demonstrates its ability to reduce the stress levels of ethnically diverse caregivers.
The article is a significant source of information on dementia and the issue of sociocultural stress among African American caregivers. The researchers concluded that African American participants experience a higher burden from caring for dementia patients compared to White caregivers, which might be explained by family values and cultural experiences. This finding supports the focus of my research by indicating the effects of culture on dementia healthcare. The diverse expert team allowed the researchers to achieve the goal of exploring cultural factors while reducing the bias and ensuring the reliability of the article. The study reflects the authors’ in-depth knowledge of dementia along with the cultural features and issues of African American caregivers, which make it a valuable source for my research. The article contributes to my argument by confirming that African American culture should be acknowledged for the effectiveness of dementia care. It is possible to include the study’s findings on the sociocultural stress model in my research on the impact of African American culture on dementia care. The work allowed me to observe the effects of diverse cultural factors on dementia caregivers and learn more about the peculiarities of African American culture in the given context.
References
Clark, J. L., Phoenix, S., Bilbrey, A. C., McManis, T., Escal, K. A., Arulanantham, R., Sisay, T., & Ghatak, R. (2018). Cultural competency in dementia care: An African American case study. Clin Gerontol, 41(3), 255–260. Web.
Richardson, V. E., Fields, N., Won, S., Bradley, E., Gibson, A., Rivera, G., & Holmes, S. D. (2019). At the intersection of culture: Ethnically diverse dementia caregivers’ service use. Dementia, 18(5), 1790–1809. Web.