•  I would like you to describe at least three distinct culturally specific details about one chosen cultures that were described in the case study below. Were you aware of these before you read them? Why is this knowledge important in health care?

•  I would like you to describe at least three distinct culturally specific details about one chosen cultures that were described in the case study below. Were you aware of these before you read them? Why is this knowledge important in health care?

PHYSICAL THERAPISTS
CASE STUDY
An elderly Cuban woman has been in a car accident in Miami, Florida. Subsequently, her doctor recommends that she visit a physical therapist so she can begin gradually to work on her mobility again. She is able to ambulate but suffers from minor aches and pains in her legs and lower back as a result of the accident. At her second physical therapy visit her adult daughter and two sons accompany her and help her every step of the way by holding her up as she walks over to the physical therapist, constantly asking her if she needs anything and speaking to her only in Spanish, as she is unable to speak English.
The English speaking only, non-Hispanic therapist is completely frustrated with the patient’s daughter and sons and advises them that their mother will recover at a much faster rate if he can just work with her independently and that he will need to move her forward at each visit, in terms of various physical therapy approaches, for her to gain complete ambulatory independence again. He advises them to wait in the waiting room during their mother’s visits as he had suggested to them during her first visit.
The woman’s daughter and two sons are appalled and demand another physical therapist, indicating their mother’s physical therapist does not care about her or them, and they want a Spanish-speaking therapist, Cuban specifically, to work with their mother. They are advised that no one at the facility is Cuban but that they have a Spanish-speaking receptionist who can try to communicate with their mother during the session. The receptionist is requested by the physical therapist and comes over to sort out the commotion by speaking in Spanish to the woman’s daughter and sons; however, she is of Puerto Rican descent and does not agree with how the family is doting over the mother. A discussion ensues in Spanish between the two sons, the daughter, and the receptionist.
The physical therapist is not sure what is happening but is getting anxious and frustrated. He is watching the clock because his next client will arrive shortly and he needs to document all events related to the mother in this scenario and prepare for the therapy of his next client. Ultimately, he is only able to work with the elderly Cuban woman for about 10 minutes, and the daughter and two sons remain very involved in those 10 minutes, continuing to pamper their mother with great concern that he is trying to do too much with her too soon. The mother is very emotional during the remainder of the session and very little is accomplished.

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Based on the case study presented three culturally specific details about the Cuban culture can be discerned and discussed highlighting the importance of cultural competence in healthcare 1 Family Inv... View the full answer