Transforming long-term care: Understanding relationship-centered care practices in ethno-specific context

Culturally responsive care is essential to meaningful relationship-building in long-term care (LTC) settings, yet there is limited understanding of how Relationship-Centered Care (RCC) is interpreted and enacted in contexts shaped by shared cultural frameworks. This critical ethnographic study examines how RCC practices unfolded within an ethno-specific LTC home serving predominantly Chinese older adults in Vancouver, drawing on document review, participant observation, and interviews with residents, families, and staff. Four key themes were identified: (1) Caring like family (i.e., building trust through kinship-based language and emotional familiarity); (2) Honoring roots (i.e., integrating residents’ cultural identities into care); (3) Recreation and celebrations (i.e., fostering belonging through culturally meaningful activities); and (4) Collaboration as the heart of care (i.e., reinforcing reciprocity through resident-family-staff partnerships). These findings illustrate how culturally grounded practices shape the interpretation and enactment of RCC in everyday care. Future research should explore how RCC operates in more culturally heterogeneous settings and use inclusive methods to amplify the voices of diverse residents. • Grounding RCC in cultural context supports identity, belonging, and emotional well-being in LTC. • Care practices rooted in shared language, culture, and embodied communication strengthens trust and connection. • Culturally grounded recreation and celebrations serve as vital spaces for inclusion, joy, and community-making. • Relational care is co-constructed through collaboration among residents, families, and culturally attuned staff. • RCC is a dynamic and culturally situated practice with implications for LTC policy and practice.