Ethnogeriatrics In Nursing Care

Nursing Care and Ethnogreriatric Aspects

Ethnogeriatrics, Demographics Effects,Historical Review

Ethnogeriatrics

    Ethnogeriatrics is an evolving multidisciplinary subspecialty in geriatrics which examines health and aging issues in the context of cultural beliefs, values, and practices among racial and ethnic minority elders. 

Demographics Effects

    Demographic effects, heterogeneity, barriers to access and utilization of services, interaction of culture based practices and formal systems, impact of public policies, and culturally sensitive patient-provider relationships are key concepts in the field (Harper, 1990; McBride, Morioka-Douglas, & Yeo, 1996; Richardson, 1996). 

    They provide useful information to guide health care delivery systems and service providers in reducing health disparities. Because nursing science is deeply rooted in integrative and holistic perspectives.

    It is well positioned to explore multifaceted conceptual frameworks such as the explanatory model (Kleinman, Eisenberg, & Good, 1978) and transtheoretical models (Plowden & Miller, 2002; McBride et al. , 1998), and blend them into established or evolving nursing theories (Chen, 1996; Leininger, M., & McFarland, M., 2002).

Historical Review

    A review of literature from 1996-2002 on. African-American and Asian-American older adults was summarized according to: what is known about access to community based health care, issues raised by research findings, and gaps in research (McBride & Lewis, 2004). 

    The limited research on chronic diseases shows variations in type of illness, prevalence of disease, and quality of care (eg) Baumann, Chang, & Hoebeke , 2002; De la Cruz, McBride, Compas , Calixto, & Van Derveer , 2002; Ness, Nassimiha , Feria, & Aronow , 1999). Information on cohorts of older African Americans is predominantly on individuals born in the United States and descendants of slaves from Africa. 

    In contrast, studies on cohorts of older Asian Americans, whose ethnic origins are from over 50 countries, consist of a mix of recent immigrants, long-stay residents, and US born. 

    Important differences between and within groups (or heterogeneity) in terms of cultural beliefs and historical experiences are seldom measured and examined as factors contributing to disparities in access and utilization of services. 

    Descriptive, exploratory, cross-sectional studies dominate the research effort on African-American and Asian-American older adults to identify unmet needs; few focus on culturally appropriate interventions. In some large databases, health status is often measured by self-reports (McBride & Lewis). 

    However, it is unlikely that the information is verified by clinical data or linked with culture-based practices, particularly for those who are monolingual, low acculturated, or less educated older people. 

    In view of the projected 12% increase in racial and ethnic minority elders by 2030 and a continuing climate of rapidly diminishing resources, pursuing well designed longitudinal intervention studies with randomized samples using culturally relevant research designs (eg, case study designs) which are critical to improving quality of care for racial and ethnic minorities is a serious challenge to current and future nurse scientists.