World Alzheimer’s Day is a chance for the care sector to reflect on how we can better meet the needs of all people living with this challenging condition. This particularly includes people from diverse backgrounds who are more likely to slip through the cracks of the system.
In England and Wales, 5.1 million people, or 9% of the population, speak a non-native first language and this number is growing each year. The stakes are high for these people should they develop Alzheimer’s or dementia as their ability to communicate is likely be more severely impacted than most. As the condition progresses, many patients find themselves reverting to their mother tongue, making it difficult to express basic needs or emotions in their second language.
Being unable to convey thoughts and feelings to the person providing care is a frustrating and isolating experience for Alzheimer’s patients, yet traditional care models fail to take this into account.
The short fallings of the traditional model
The UK’s care system largely relies on care agencies and given the current deficit in Care Professionals in the country, the focus tends to be on filling a shift as opposed to finding the best person to meet a client’s specific needs.
When linguistic and cultural needs are not accounted for, a disconnect is created as the person receiving care can feel misunderstood and overlooked. For those with Alzheimer’s, which can make people more easily agitated or anxious, this could be dangerous for both client and Care Professional.
The traditional care agency model, used by care homes, local authorities and private clients, limits options and creates barriers to culturally competent care. The lack of choice and control given to clients and their families undermines the vital role that culturally appropriate care, something called for by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), plays in delivering effective, compassionate care.
Cultural matching in care
The solution to this conundrum begins with recognising that culturally aligned care should not be a luxury in a modern, multicultural society. It is a necessity.
Matching patients with Care Professionals who share their language and perhaps also a cultural background leads to more comfortable and respectful care experiences. Mutual norms, traditions and values allow Care Professionals to anticipate their client’s needs more intuitively.
This is a transformative approach. Patients who feel understood and respected are less likely to experience anxiety or distress, leading to better outcomes. It can also combat social isolation, something experienced by a third of dementia patients, by offering connection to community and this is crucial as loneliness can accelerate the symptoms of the condition.
When a Care Professional is specifically chosen by a client or their family, consistency in care is more assured than when operating with a standard agency who will likely send whoever is available. As change can be confusing and overwhelming for Alzheimer’s patients, this familiarity makes for smoother and more comfortable care provision.
Breaking down barriers with technology
Disrupting the status quo can be difficult, so how do we advance to a new era of patient-centric care? The answer is solutions that make finding and hiring Care Professionals with the right skills easier.
Online marketplace platforms are built on technology that embeds choice and control into the fabric of the system and these are transforming how care is approached. Using these platforms, clients can filter for Care Professionals who match specific cultural, linguistic and clinical needs, ensuring everyone finds someone who truly understands them.
This supports smarter care, leveraging technology to streamline the process of finding a Care Professional. For providers such as care homes and local authorities, this frees up more time and resources to reinvest into delivering meaningful care.
The abilities of the Care Professional community in the UK are vast, but without being underpinned by digital tools, it is almost impossible to cherry-pick skills. On Curam’s platform, for example, over 7,000 Care Professionals are experienced with dementia patients and nearly 5,000 speak multiple languages. In total, 30 languages can be filtered for on the platform with French, Spanish, Urdu, Romanian and Polish the most widely spoken.
Prioritising the power of language in Alzheimer’s care
Using technology to make the process of finding the best Care Professional for a client’s specific needs results in a care system that is more responsive, efficient and person-centred. Whether for public sector or private clients, there is a clear need to embrace innovation and move past outdated models. This is the only way to promote a truly inclusive and humane approach.
Alzheimer’s care is not just about treating a disease, it is about ensuring a person retains respect and dignity as they get older. As we observe World Alzheimer’s Day, let’s prioritise building a future where every individual, background aside, has access to the care that they need that is sensitive to where they’ve come from.
https://www.curamcare.com/
