Allochtonen in de geriatrische gezondheidszorg

Abstract

Summary: Treatment of older ethnic minority patients. Some pitfalls Description of 2 ethnic minority elderly patient cases in which language barriers and cultural differences influence the treatment; a 70 years old Turkish male patient suffering from Alzheimer dementia, in which communication problems interfere with the treatment of his disease as diagnosed in Turkey and in which it was not possible to provide optimal care for a long time because of cultural related factors; a 73 years old Chinese female patient with M.Parkinson, where problems concerning communication and cultural background lead to different expectations concerning treatment resulting in an official complaint towards the hospital, even though the patient shows recovery in the course of the treatment.Communication problems and cultural differences influence diagnose and treatment of older ethnic minority patients. There is lack of knowledge about this subject, especially concerning the Dutch situation. Further research about the treatment of older ethnic minority patients is recommended.