Dementia Care

Vol 5 No 6 December 2016/January 2017

Australian Journal of Dementia Care

ultural heritage is an important

aspect of self-identity for older adults

and an essential component of

preserving meaningful roles and

supporting healthy ageing among people

living with dementia (Day & Cohen 2000).

There is a direct relationship between a

person’s link to their cultural heritage – the

customs, practices, places, objects, artistic

expressions and values passed on from

generation to generation (ICOMOS 2002) –

and his/her health (Calkins1988). Cohen

&Weisman (1991) argue that when

responding to the many challenges

experienced by people living with

dementia, the environment can either

assist or hinder. An environment that is

culturally unfamiliar can have a negative

effect on the person with dementia.

Of the many variables known to

influence a person’s health beliefs and

practices, culture is the most forgotten and

sometimes the most misunderstood. There

is a myth that families fromCALD

backgrounds ‘look after their own’, and

thus do not require environments or

services for family members living with

dementia (Cox &Monk 1993). However,

the

Review of Australian research on older

people from culturally and linguistically

diverse backgrounds

(FECCA2015) report

stressed that the importance of CALD-

friendly facilities is clearly evidenced by

the fact that almost one in three

Australians were born overseas, many

with CALD backgrounds.

This article discusses the particular

needs of people with dementia from

CALD backgrounds and explains how an

understanding of these needs is

incorporated into the philosophy of care

for residents at Scalabrini Villages, and in

the planning and design of our new $70

million aged care facility which is being

built specifically for CALD people living

with dementia, and is due to open in late

2017 in Drummoyne, Sydney.

Scalabrini Village provides residential

aged care, including specialised dementia

care, primarily for residents from an Italian

background, but also for people from

other cultures. About 60% of our residents

are of Italian heritage. Our model of care is

focused on demonstrating knowledge and

understanding of our residents’ cultural

heritage, accepting and respecting cultural

differences, and adapting care accordingly.

The needs of CALD

people with dementia

Cultural heritage

People with dementia have

emotional/social and cognitive deficits as

well as memory loss, confusion, loss of

functional abilities and other losses (Cohen

&Weisman 1991). They can also exhibit

communication difficulties. It is therefore

vitally important they receive positive

emotional and environmental cues to help

maintain their dignity and autonomy. This

is where culture has a special significance.

Because people with dementia from

CALD communities retain beliefs and

behaviours from their culture of origin,

providing resources that reflect a person’s

cultural heritage is especially important to

help preserve their sense of identity,

maintain function, reduce confusion and

enhance social connections and well-

being. These resources include such things

as therapeutic cultural prompts,

environmental design, food, religious

practices and language. Environments,

which include staff with cultural

competence, should replicate as much as

possible residents’ traditional socio-

physical environments and cultural

considerations.

However, culture has been largely

forgotten and neglected in the design of

physical environments (Connell & Gibson

1997) and care planning for people living

with dementia, especially in mainstream,

culturally neutral aged care facilities

where English is the dominant language of

residents and staff. Many continue to base

their care philosophy on a model that is

task-oriented rather than person-centred,

with bland and culturally neutral physical

environments that are particularly foreign

Creating culturally appropriate

care for people with dementia

Colin McDonnell

explains how to create residential care environments that support the needs

of older people with dementia from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds

An architect’s drawing of the Italian-style

piazza planned for Scalabrini Village’s new

care home in Sydney

Scalabrini Village’s Foundation Day celebrates the organisation’s multicultural heritage and

cultural diversity with staff performing national dances for residents and relatives