What is Needed to Provide High-Quality Cultural and Spiritual Care in Long-Term Care Homes?

Context: Providing high-quality care to older people living in long-term care homes requires consideration of their cultural backgrounds and spiritual beliefs. Objective: To ascertain the views of key informants from Australian culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD), Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI), and spiritual care organisations about providing high-quality cultural and spiritual care in long-term care homes. Method: Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with seven representatives of these Australian organisations. Interview transcripts were thematically analysed. Findings: The importance of cultural and spiritual care to older people living in long-term care was acknowledged. However, it was noted that this care for older people from diverse CALD, ATSI, and spiritual backgrounds was often absent due to staff ignorance, lack of awareness, and assumptions. Staff need further education to provide culturally and spiritually appropriate care; long-term care homes need to incorporate an organizational approach to providing culturally and spirituality appropriate care; and staff should be encouraged to consult experts in cultural and spiritual care when the care they provide is insufficient. Cultural and spiritual care champions may be an appropriate way of disseminating knowledge and establishing a culturally and spiritually aware workforce. Limitations: The small number of existing Australian cultural and spiritual care organisations, and the smaller number of representatives within these organisations who have experience with older people living in long-term care homes, limited the number of eligible participants. Implications for practice Long-term care homes must invest in comprehensive education to better equip staff to provide high-quality cultural and spiritual care to older people. Education should assist staff in identifying the range of life areas to which culture and spiritual care have relevance and how to apply appropriate knowledge. Staff should be aware of the available guidelines about culturally and spiritually informed care; and recognise when to consult experts. Workplace champions can provide and encourage an ethos where culture and spirituality are considered in everyday care.