Cultural Competency and Cultural Humility in Caring for Older Adults

Question 1

1. Which of the following is true about cultural humility?
   a. It is typically accomplished through professional development courses.
   b. It can only be achieved by underrepresented minority groups.
   c. It places emphasis on power imbalances and promotes interpersonal sensitivity through partnerships with and learning from patients.
   d. It rarely considers the biologic, socioeconomic, and racial impacts of upstream structural factors on health disparities.

Answer 1

c. It places emphasis on power imbalances and promotes interpersonal sensitivity through partnerships with and learning from patients.

Question 2

2. Racial disparities have been a part of US healthcare for many decades. How might this impact the expectations of older Black Americans?
   a. Reluctance to participate in medical research because of unethical studies in the past
   b. Underrepresentation of Black physicians in the geriatric workforce
   c. Cumulative effects of differences in access to healthcare providers
   d. All of these

Answer 2

d. All of these

Question 3

3. Dementia is a relatively common condition in the geriatric population. It becomes more common as people age. Which is the most appropriate description of “personhood” as it relates to people with dementia?

a. Personhood is a universal concept that is defined the same way in all cultures.
b. The ability to relate to others as people, rather than preserving cognitive independence, is an important aspect of “personhood.”
c. The ability to recognize family members by name is an important aspect of “personhood.”
d. A deterioration in cognitive function demonstrates the decreasing value of older adults in society.

Answer 3

b. The ability to relate to others as people, rather than preserving cognitive independence, is an important aspect of “personhood.”

Question 4

4. Immigrant families bring cultural traditions into healthcare decisions. With regard to older adults, which of the following is true?

a. End-of-life care is particularly sensitive to cultural beliefs and should be explored carefully with the patient and family, as appropriate.
b. Clinicians should assume that all cultures value autonomy of the individual over the family unit.
c. It is considered rude to offer interpreters when talking to patients who do not speak English, when family members are present.
d. Most cultures outside of the United States believe that life support should not be used after age 65 years.

Answer 4

a. End-of-life care is particularly sensitive to cultural beliefs and should be explored carefully with the patient and family, as appropriate.