Cultural Competency in Health Services: An Ageing Support Project

This project provides a reflection on cultural competency within health services, particularly in the context of ageing support. It includes a discussion of personal cultural influences, examples of cultural biases, and strategies to address these biases in a healthcare setting. The project also identifies areas of strength and areas for improvement in the practice of a health care assistant, along with methods for achieving professional development. Furthermore, it explores how experiences from diverse cultures impact personal behavior and relationships, and it outlines the skills, knowledge, and attitudes necessary for ensuring cultural competency in the role of a health services assistant. The project discusses ways to embrace diversity and addresses scenarios involving workplace discrimination, offering solutions and referencing relevant laws and acts. Finally, it touches on the concept of productive diversity and its application in the workplace, emphasizing the importance of managing diversity for the benefit of both individuals and the organization. Desklib provides access to similar projects and study resources for students.

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AGEING SUPPORT
Student’s Name:
Course:
Tutor:
Date:

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Assessment Task 3-Project
1a) Reflection on my own culture
Acknowledging diversity is a way of accepting and respecting differences between
cultures. Attitudes, language, policies, and structures makes up my culture which I presume is
only shared with members of my society. The attitudes, policies, language and structures of my
culture influence how we do our work, how we solve conflicts, what we believe in, and how we
view different things.
b) Example of impacts my culture has on different people.
In my culture we believe that when a member of the society id deceased, the rest of the
community and the neighbors should not work but mourn with the family members. This creates
negative economic impact on other group as it is considered a taboo. On the other hand, to the
Aboriginal and Torres some of the attitudes and policies of different cultures have impacts on
them and require them to rebuild their cultural sustainability with human rights system.
2. Example of cultural perspective or bias which is different from the example given
in assessment 2
As explained, the practice requires everybody not to go to work but instead mourn with
the family. As a health care assistant, one of the most important roles is to save lives and
therefore, the practice limits my work in helping the patients and I consider it bias.

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3. How I would work to address the bias identified
First and foremost, I would let the community understand the importance of my career
and that of the others. I will do this through organizing series of meetings with the elders and the
youths so that the tradition can be changed. I will also make everybody understand my role as
that of saving lives and whether there is a calamity in the society or not, I have to work for the
sake of their wellbeing.
4 a) One aspect of practice I do well
As health care assistant, there are several aspects I do well; however, I will only give one
in this case. Care for support is the main area I do well in, especially looking after the physical
comfort of the patients.
b) One aspect of practice I could improve
One area that needs improvement is administration and that can be achieved through
getting extra training.
c) How to improve the aspect mentioned in 3 (b)
As a result of the manual assessment to health care assistants, the only way to improve on
the weakest points to attend trainings and development through the available means such as
workshops and seminars.

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5. How experiences from different cultures have impacted my personal behavior
and relationship with others
I have interacted with different cultures with social phenomena that when brought
together, can provide me with social shared values and beliefs with different people from other
groups. Personally, the experience has influenced how I communicate with others. I have learnt
to respect every belief and people in general.
6. Skills, knowledge or attitudes needed to develop to ensure cultural competency in
the role of health services assistant.
The ever-growing diversity of the world creates opportunities and challenges for health
services assistants and health care system in general. This has prompted the policy makers in
different nations to come up and deliver culturally competent services to the populations. The
capability of providers and institutions to successfully provide health care services that meet the
cultural, social, and linguistic needs of the patient defines cultural competence in the health
sector. It is also the ability to comprehend, communicate with and efficiently interact with
different individuals across cultures.1
There are several skills, knowledge and attitudes that are specifically relevant in the role
of health assistant position. The most important of all is the leadership skill that will make the
assistant be aware of his or her own world view, develop positive mind-sets towards cultural
diversity or differences, gain knowledge of various cultural practices and populations’ views and
develop skills for communication as well as relations across cultures.
1 M Jeffreys, Teaching Cultural Competence In Nursing And Health Care (Springer Publishing Company LLC, 2nd
ed, 2010).

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Secondly, respect is also an important virtue that is expected to help health assistants in a
culturally diverse setting. Respect will also help the health assistant to recognize that diversity
contributes to richness of the community thus the need to serve everybody equally regardless of
where they come from or their race.2
7. Differences in people that may make me uncomfortable
Group 1 Group 2
Type of person I feel
uncomfortable around
Agitated Rigid
How they are different from
me
Am always required to be
calm
Flexible and understanding to
my patients
Why I feel uncomfortable
being around them
Always create unnecessary
chaos while attending to other
patients
Will never take any
instructions given by HCAs
Similarities between us We both need attention Both need to be heard
The best method to understand this people is to always listen to them, give them time to
speak their mind then later initiate a constructive dialogue based on real issues at hand.
8 a) Ways to embrace diversity around
The best way to embrace diversity is to emphasize on the strengths each person present
on board. These strengths are of great help as everybody learns from one another. Secondly, I
2 Rennie P, Cultural Competency In Health (ACT: Australian Government, National Health and Medical Research
Council, 3rd ed, 2016).

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would stand up to discrimination and resist, raise may voice for the unheard views and finally
embracing brotherhood to enhance delivery of care to the society.
b) An instant when you may have discriminated against somebody else
Treating other people differently from others is the simple meaning of discrimination. At
workplace, it happens when the employer treats another worker less favorably than his/her
colleagues in the same sector3. In my case, I have accidentally discriminated against a female
friend who came to look for manual job that I perceived to belong to men category only.
On the other hand, I have also been discriminated in several instances, for instance, I was
seeking an apartment for rent within my hometown, the owner of the house asked whether I am
married or not and my response was no since I am still single. She said that her apartments are
people with families (couples) and they must have no children.
9. Case studies
a) Robyn
Robyn experienced an act that can be best described as workplace gender discrimination.
As far as rules and regulations are concerned, it is unethical for the management to give such a
reason when an employee is demanding her rights and that calls for the application of labor Acts
to deal with such situation as well as applying the Equal Pay Act that demands both men and
women in the same workplace be offered equal pay for equal task4.
3 Alison Fogarty and Lily Zheng, Gender Ambiguity In The Workplace: Transgender And Gender-Diverse
Discrimination (1st ed, 2018).
4 Faye J et al, Sex Discrimination In The Workplace: Multidisciplinary Perspectives (6th ed, 2012).

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a) Maria
Maria experienced age discrimination at her workplace. It is illegal at any given stage of
employment such as hiring, promoting, raises and dismissal or layoff. This is another form of
harassment being done to Maria and the law prohibits that action.
b) Henry
He is offended by racial remarks from his fellow workmates against an athlete. When he
launched the complaint, the manager fails to act against the issue especially not taking any
actions from the racist remarks. Henry is transferred to a place he wasn’t intending to go to and
thereafter losing his position. In this case, an act of favoritism is being experienced in this case.
c) Boris
To reduce or tackle bias and discrimination when hiring, the managers must give their gut
a break adhere to structures in place and focus on the required skills as well as rate the applicant
on. For Boris’ case, he should seek assistance from the relevant authorities to intervene in the
case.
Scenario Three

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As discussed earlier, culturally diversity is on the rise in many workplaces. In this case, to
create mutual understanding and better working relationship with the new employee and the rest,
I would the following:
a) Assess the new employee’s previous workplace diversity through the cultural audit to
find how they used to operate in her previous location. Help him learn to accommodate
his fellow staff and see the essence of diversity for the company.
Scenario four
Fatima is a Muslim and that shows that she will spend some of her time during the day
praying. However, there are rules and regulations as well as code of conduct each person signed
when being employed. Fatima is protected by the law through freedom of worship, but I would
advise her to work extra hours to compensate for the time spent praying to create ease on my
side.
10. Scenario 5
How could workers work in a culturally diverse environment?
They ought to create a perfect environment and tolerate one another. They also need to
learn how to differentiate facts from cultural perceptions and beliefs concerning the facts
presented. Workers also should learn with open mind and focus on the importance teamwork.
11. Scenario 6

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Tom: As a HCA, I would let Tom know that I respect him and his culture; however, I will
politely talk to him explain how medication enriches his culture. I will expound to him more on
the importance of taking medication as well as preserving his culture.
12. Scenario 7
I will respond to the family by holding a polite discussion with them and make them be
aware of the employment’s code of conduct which requires me to be on my shoes throughout.
6. Laws: Summaries
Act Aim/Who it Protects Example of what would be
considered discrimination
Racial Discrimination Act
1975
To treat everybody equally
and be given opportunities
regardless of the background
Denying an individual
opportunity based on his
background
Sex Discrimination Act 1984 To stop discrimination on the
foundation of sex, marital
status or sexual orientation.
Recruiting based on sex and
denying other group the
opportunity because of their
sexual orientation. Failing to
get a house because of your
marital status.
Australian Human Rights
Commission Act 1986
To create provision in
connection with human rights
and in regards to equal
Violation of rights in places of
work and other areas.

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opportunity in employment
and other related functions.5
Disability Discrimination
Act 1992
Stops discrimination against
people living
with disabilities schools,
workplaces, education,
publicly-accessible location,
provision of goods and
services, housing, clubs and
associations, and other
circumstances.6
Missing college entry due to
disability condition, denied
job opportunity due to
deformity in the body
Racial Hatred Act 1995 prohibit certain behavior
concerning the hatred of other
people on the basis of race,
color or nationality or ethnic
origin, and for related reasons.
Offensive behavior on
someone due to his/her race
Age Discrimination Act 2004 prohibits age discrimination in
areas including education,
accommodation, employment
and the provision of goods and
Refusal to promote an
employee because of his/her
age
5 George Williams and David Hume, Human Rights Under The Australian Constitution.
6 Books On Google Play Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Australia) (2018 Edition) (2018).

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services7
12. Productive diversity
Productive diversity entails giving and respect to the diverse nature of the society
specifically Australian by providing confidence to the application of skills within a society for
the benefit of the people and business at large. Productive diversity is associated with terms such
as valuing diversity, managing diversity, and diversity management and is commonly used to
give more explanation to its meaning8. It was launched in 1992 by Keating Paul who was the
Prime Minister at that time to address social and economic issues that were affecting the nation
at that particular time.
Application of Productive Diversity at workplace
Proper management of diversity result to benefits for both the employer and employee
through a successful management process9. In addition, productive diversity helps in solving
issues such as workplace discrimination. For instance, at workplace, there are some
organizations that preserve some positions for specific people of certain races and gender even
when they lack qualifications or capacity to do such tasks.10 In my position as an employee, I will
use my effort and approach the management and explain the importance of being diverse as that
7 Charles V Dale, Final Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Rules On Retiree Health Plans And The Age
Discrimination In Employment Act (Congressional Information Service, Library of Congress, 2004).
8 Tara K Rajaniemi, Explaining The Productivity-Diversity Relationship In Plants (9th ed, 2012).
9 Ian John, Productivity–Diversity Patterns In Arctic Tundra Vegetation (Macmillan, 4th ed, 2016).
10 Wilkinson Freyser, Multicultural Marketing, Productive Diversity And International Marketing(8th ed, 2010).

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may give opportunity to those being discriminated to showcase their prowess for the benefit of
the company.
Bibliography
Books On Google Play Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Australia) (2018 Edition)(2018)

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Fogarty, Alison and Lily Zheng, Gender Ambiguity In The Workplace: Transgender And
Gender-Diverse Discrimination (1st ed, 2018)
Freyser, Wilkinson, Multicultural Marketing, Productive Diversity And International
Marketing (8th ed, 2010)
John, Ian, Productivity–Diversity Patterns In Arctic Tundra Vegetation (Macmillan, 4th ed,
2016)
J, Faye et al, Sex Discrimination In The Workplace: Multidisciplinary Perspectives (6th ed,
2012)
Jeffreys, M, Teaching Cultural Competence In Nursing And Health Care (Springer
Publishing Company LLC, 2nd ed, 2010) Rajaniemi, Tara K, Explaining The
Productivity-Diversity Relationship In Plants (9th ed, 2012)
P, Rennie, Cultural Competency In Health (ACT: Australian Government, National Health
and Medical Research Council, 3rd ed, 2016)
Williams, George and David Hume, Human Rights Under The Australian Constitution