How do South Asian seniors in a large Canadian city perceive long-term care?

Abstract

To understand how community-dwelling South Asian older adults understand and envision long-term care (LTC). Descriptive qualitative study. The Region of Waterloo in Ontario. Participants included 3 key informants (geriatrician, social worker, and medical translator, all South Asian), 1 family caregiver, and 15 community-dwelling South Asian adults aged 65 and older. In-depth interviews and focus groups were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using a framework analysis approach. High-level themes included the emotional impacts of failure to provide culturally competent care, such as fear and isolation; a desire for a model of culturally competent care with an emphasis on food and language; and the need for LTC to be more integrated with the broader community and connected to families. As the delivery of LTC is rethought in this country, there is the potential to deliver on the promise of culturally competent care for this growing population. These findings are among the first to communicate the LTC care needs of South Asian older adults in their own words.