Ethnic Backgrounds and Age
What differences would you see in ethnic backgrounds based on younger adult versus an older adult when completing a history on a patient?
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SAMPLE PAPER
Ethnic Backgrounds and Age
What differences would you see in ethnic backgrounds based on younger adult versus an older adult when completing a history on a patient?
The format for taking medical history with younger adults is the same to that of older adults. Performing competent patient assessment requires taking into account cultural issues of each and every individual. History taking is influenced by cultural factors, especially when the patient is of different cultural background to that of the provider (Ghosh, Khan, & Khan, 2000). Assessing older adults poses unique challenges and special opportunities not present in younger adult assessment.
Older adults are more likely to present many cultural issues on the table than young adults. They also hold authoritative views of providers and expect healthcare professionals to tell them what to do. They are more passive in decision making process than younger adults. On the other hand, young adults are more actively engaged in decision making process (Ghosh, Khan, & Khan, 2000). Older ethnic minority adult patients are four times at risk for low echelons of participatory engagement with their providers. Older adults have longer health history compared to younger adults. Older adults are more likely to be accompanied with a companion during physical exam visits. When the companion is present, older adults raise fewer issues, are less expressive and less responsive to issues raised.
Some older adult patients perceive certain questions on medical history taking as threatening if they fail to comprehend the reason behind asking it. This may decrease the confidence of the patient in the provider and thwart any effort in obtaining complete history. Moreover, older adult patients may be reluctant to answer some questions they consider embarrassing in their culture (Ghosh, Khan, & Khan, 2000). This occurs where the provider is of opposite sex and is asking questions related to bowel care. How the older adults engage in conversation regarding sexual health is different from young adults. The latter are more open and willing to talk about sexual health issues, such as sexual performance.
References
Ghosh, P., Khan, S. A., & Khan, S. A. (2000). Transcultural Geriatrics. London: Taylor & Francis.
