Intercultural care and support
y Talk to the family spokesperson if there is one but also take up any opportunity offered to talk to the members of the family directly providing care. y Don’t lose sight of the person with dementia as a result of making an effort to include the family in discussions about care. y Where appropriate, try to describe services as opportunities for carers to provide the kind of care they would like to provide, rather than as ways to relieve them of their responsibilities. y Avoid inferring that professional care is better than informal care. y Not everyone in a particular ethnic group shares the same values about care or even has a family. Don’t forget that many people with dementia need and will accept support themselves. y Ask what kind of support or services would be helpful. Consider adapting the kind of support available and, if necessary, develop new innovative approaches that reflect the needs and wishes of people from different ethnic communities.
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