Transcultural nursing strategies for carers of people with dementia
Intended for healthcare professionals
Art & Science Previous     Next

Transcultural nursing strategies for carers of people with dementia

Melissa Bunting Staff nurse, Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
Catharine Jenkins Senior lecturer, Birmingham City University

Melissa Bunting and Catharine Jenkins investigate the effect of caring among different cultural groups and recommend culturally congruent interventions to support carers

Caring for a family member with dementia is stressful, and carers from all backgrounds often feel overwhelmed and under-supported. Professional and family carers’ perceptions of the challenges and satisfactions of caring are influenced by culturally derived expectations. However, experiences of caring often differ from stereotypical norms.

Experiences of carer stress and beliefs about the nature and extent of support that can be expected from social networks and statutory services may differ between cultural groups in the UK, but sensitive advice, information, and emotional and practical support are universally required. Transcultural comparisons reveal similarities between carers’ needs and enable identification of values-based culturally congruent recommendations that nurses can use to promote black and Asian minority ethnic carers’ confidence and wellbeing.

This article, based on practice experience and a literature review, explores the effect of caring among different cultural groups and offers recommendations for culturally congruent interventions to support carers. It provides evidence-based guidance to enable nurses to meet their responsibilities for transcultural working, as laid out in the Care Act 2014. A scenario illustrates recommendations for practice.

Nursing Older People. 28, 3, 21-25. doi: 10.7748/nop.28.3.21.s23

Correspondence

catharine@jebear.co.uk

Peer review

This article has been subject to double-blind review and has been checked using antiplagiarism software

Conflict of interest

None declared

Received: 17 November 2015

Accepted: 15 January 2016

Your organisation does not have access to this article
Recommend to your librarian
RCNi-Plus
Already have access? Log in

OR

3-month trial offer for �5.25/month

Subscribe today and save 50% on your first three months
RCNi Plus users have full access to the following benefits:
  • Unlimited access to all 10 RCNi Journals
  • RCNi Learning featuring over 175 modules to easily earn CPD time
  • NMC-compliant RCNi Revalidation Portfolio to stay on track with your progress
  • Personalised newsletters tailored to your interests
  • A customisable dashboard with over 200 topics
Subscribe

Alternatively, you can purchase access to this article for the next seven days. Buy now


Are you a student? Our student subscription has content especially for you.
Find out more