Considering Culturally Sensitive Dementia Care as a Prerequisite for Person-Centered Care: The Turkish Community in Germany as an Example.

Abstract

Culturally diverse societies often struggle with providing appropriate dementia care. Cultural sensitivity is considered an important prerequisite for meeting the needs of persons with dementia. This article discusses culture specific aspects of dementia care by referring to the Turkish community in Germany as an example. Factors are discussed that specifically infringe on the quality of dementia care for migrants. The article defends the claim that good dementia care for migrants can be provided through a person-centered approach which is again based on culturally sensitive approach. We show how culture shapes health phenomena but also argue that a focus on culture may stereotype individuals as belonging to a particular culture, grouping people together irrespective of their heterogeneity. Person-centered care is ideal for recognizing diverse needs and values. It is often seen as being at odds with culturally sensitive care, but this paper suggests a way of reconciling them. We argue that culture does indeed provide a framework to create the necessary foundation for person-centered care. Finally, some criticisms and plausible replies are discussed and practical implications arising from the analysis are presented.