1.2.e Culturally Competent Care
Canada is an increasingly diverse country, and this affects people’s preferences, whether they are the ones accessing or providing health care. Decision making processes will differ by people’s background and their place on the continuum of assimilation, as well as acculturation to the dominant culture. Consider how decision making may occur differently among immigrants, sojourners, refugees, Indigenous, Metis, and people with various gender identities or religious affiliations.
Culture impacts health care decision making in unique ways. Variety exists around:
- Attitudes and customs related to wellness, illness, birth, and death
- Communication styles
- Family roles and organization of “family” and community
- Food rules, taboos, and spirituality
- Customs related to modesty, privacy
- Adhering to ritual or tradition or choosing a “modern” lifestyle
- Concepts of risk and safety