Objective: Sweden is a multicultural country with diverse ethnic groups. The increasing number of elderly people in these groups are running the risk of needing mental health care services. A person diagnosed with dementia will, due to the severity of the disease, be in need of residential care. The new environment in a nursing home is a challenge both for the patient and the professional carers at the ward, particularly if the patients only speak their native language. Few studies have focused on the ethnic minority person suffering from dementia in residential care in the hosting country.
Design: The aim of the study was to describe the experiences of the ethnic minority elders suffering from dementia in residential care in the hosting country.
Materials and Method: A qualitative approach ethnography was used. There were 30 participants, including relatives of the patients, professional carers and patients at different wards. The patients suffering from dementia had Finnish and former Yugoslavian background. Data was collected through participant observations and interviews, which were tape-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analyzed.
Results: The results showed that, due to cultural and language barriers, there were communication problems which affected the patients socially, mentally and physiologically. The patients ran the risk of being socially isolated from the other Swedish patients, and of being seen more cognitively impaired than they actually were. Communication problems could also trigger behavioral disturbances such as aggressions and depression, which was difficult for both patients and carers to cope with. Due to cultural differences such as different food traditions, the patients were at increased risk of malnutrition and the physiological consequences of that condition.
Conclusion: When the ethnic minority person suffering from dementia is admitted to residential care in the hosting country, he or she will run the risk of being in a disadvantaged position in comparison to the Swedish patients.
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