Caring for Haitian Elders: Why Culture Matters in Home Care

Cultural awareness is a must in the case of the Haitian Creole home care. Haitian families establishing themselves in the USA’s system of elder care are confronted by several challenges. For instance, they face linguistic barriers, cultural loss of touch and the emotional burden of leaving behind the traditional caregiving roles. Although most of the Haitian families continue to do everything they can to personally take good care of their old people, circumstances also change with time to the adoption of professional caretakers.

Normal home care is not sufficient for Haitian elders' support. They require caregivers with cultural competence who respect their language, values and spiritual customs. The article examines the reasons why culturally responsive home care is important and how it will make life easier for Haitian elders.

A Tribute to a Tradition: Family, Respect and Responsibility

Haitian elders' support is based on family duty and respect. Historically, three generations, grandparents, parents and children are bound to live together or at least not too far such that care is a natural part of daily life. As children are growing up, they observe their parents looking after the aging grandparents and get to know that they should do the same now that they are becoming the parents of their own children; it is their turn now to take care of grown-up grandparents.

Yet this model does not always work in the United States. Adults also have full-time jobs, long drives, and have to pay bills and cannot take full-time care. The traditional community of neighbours and family, which has been the focus of the caregiving, is commonly missing. In the case of numerous Haitian families, this develops into major conflict within themselves;the cultural values they are well aware of are faced with the realities of American life.

Culturally Competent Caregiving: More than Routines and Calendars

In order to provide any culturally competent caregiving to Haitian elders, the agencies will have to understand that they are not the recipients of care, but they are matriarchs, patriarchs and the spiritual foundation of their families. These traditions, beliefs and experiences influence their attitudes towards ageing and the assistance they are getting.

Here is what culturally competent caregiving looks like:

●      Knowledge of values: There are three issues generally stressed by Haitian elders: independence, contribution to the household, and respect. The loss of increased mobility will make them feel useless or depressed because they think they cannot perform other chores/cooking tasks that are meaningful to them.

●      Politeness and titles: Most Haitian seniors like to be treated with respect and titles and are accustomed to a rather formal contact.

●      Spiritual orientation: The faith aspect is an important part of Haitian life. To many elders, emotional well-being requires prayer, church attendance, or listening to gospel music. When treated with empathy and positivity by a carer who understands the importance of such rituals, a patient can feel peace and comfort besides physical treatment.

●      Engaging the family: Haitian families are unit-based decision-making families. The family members should be informed regularly and consulted on issues to do with care planning by the providers.

The Linguistic Situation: The Haitian Creole and French

Communication is considered to be one of the most fundamental aspects of Haitian Creole home care. Language does more than just serve as a tool; it is an access to culture, history and dignity.

A large number of the Haitian elders in the United States use Haitian Creole as a first and most fluent language. Others also speak French, and others have little or no mastery of English. Without being able to communicate with caregivers, the elders may feel lonely or misunderstood.

Here is how language can make a difference:

●      Communication: There are no translation concerns to understand care instructions, medications and routines.

●      Emotional comfort: As elderly people with cognitive issues, talking in their native language can ease anxiety to a great extent.

●      Building trust: Language forms bonds. The Creole- or French-speaking caregiver will be able to establish rapport and trust faster.

●      Cultural sensitivity: Language counterparts worldview. Caregivers with an understanding of Creole expressions, proverbs, or jokes have a better understanding of the elder person in terms of the emotional state and the value system.

Haitian Elders Support: Creating a Balance

To offer old Haitian people a helping hand in the USA is to create the means of standing fast in the culture and still assimilating new health care systems. Though nursing homes and home care agencies provide security and routine, they may seem strange or cold to the elderly found in communities where members depended on each other.

This is how a bridge between that gap can be built up by the caregivers and the families:

●      Promote comfortably known activities: In case the elderly love to cook, then make them partake under supervision. Subsidise their ways of doing things, such as hand-washing clothes done traditionally, morning prayers, etc.

●      Establish a sense of a community: A sense of a community can be attained via religious networks, family visits, or routine calls by extended family.

●      Maintaining dignity with roles: The elders tend to associate themselves with their family roles, such as the story keepers, spiritual leaders or ‘punishers of the family. Permission should be granted that they could lead prayers, narrate stories to the grandchildren or instruct in the old traditions.

●      Resort to culturally appropriate material: Care routines should include reading materials written in Creole, Haitian music, food that will be familiar to him/her, as well as culturally relevant holidays.

Selecting the Right Home Care Provider

To choose a home care provider for a Haitian elder, seek the one that:

●      Creole/French bilingual personnel

●      Working with the Haitian or Caribbean clients

●      Caregiver cultural training

●      May be flexible enough to accommodate religious and family-based practices

●      Good recommendations by other families in Haiti

Ask a question to the provider regarding their approach to cultural and linguistic needs. Are they familiar with the preferences in Haitian meals, their family relationships or their religious practices? A provider with such values stands a much higher chance of providing fluent and suitable care.

A Call to Culturally Competent Home Care Provider

At Optimal Autonomy At Home we believe that your elders deserve home care that feels like home. Find a culturally matched caregiver for an interview today and see how we help Haitian families with compassion, dignity and empathy. Haitian Creole language speakers and culturally sensitive specialists are prepared to assist your family since culture is essential in every care moment.