Question

Read the case study, then answer the questions that follow.

Lenny recently moved into a 96-bed aged care facility in the town he has lived in for the past 20 years. The home is a non-profit organization run by one of the main church groups. Lenny has Parkinson’s disease and is happy that he is still able to move around the home in his wheelchair, mostly unassisted. After Lenny settles in, the lifestyle coordinator meets him to develop a lifestyle activities plan. The coordinator finds out that Lenny is a practicing Buddhist and has enjoyed a long relationship with the local Buddhist community.

The coordinator gives Lenny an outline of the facility’s programs that are run throughout the month. She invites Lenny to join in as she can organize a worker to help Lenny to get to the various rooms where the activities and programs are held. A few of the program's centers on the chaplain’s programs. Lenny explains that he is not interested in attending those activities and asks what activities are in place for Buddhists. The coordinator says Lenny is only one of three residents who follows a Buddhist faith and given the organization was initiated by the church; they do not offer anything other than the programs that are currently run. Lenny tells the coordinator that he would like his information to remain private.

The next day, Lenny is having lunch in the dining room when a personal care assistant asks him to come to the church program, explaining it is not a religious service but more a discussion group. The worker then states that she knows Lenny is not religious, but she thinks he may enjoy the activity. Lenny feels embarrassed as others in the dining room overhear the conversation. He leaves the table and decides to have his evening meal in his room that night.

Question

1. Have staff supported Lenny’s rights? If yes, how? If not, why not? (Approx. 30 words).

2. Identify two strategies that need to be in place to guide staff in relation to cultural diversity issues. (Approx. 20 words).

3. What mechanisms within the aged care sector are open to Lenny regarding having his issues addressed? (Approx. 60 - 80 words).

Answer 1

1. No ,the staffs don't supported her religious right . She had strong belief in Buddhism and she wanted to follow it not the christian activities . Everyone has religious rights but she was being forced to follow their church activities and also her confidentiality was revealed infront of others.

2. Strategies to deal with cultural diversity issues are :-

Ensure clear and polite communication.

Learn about different cultures.

Work towards accommodating cultural difference.

Share knowledge.

Employ diversity training.

3. The mechanisms within the aged care sector that are open to Lenny regarding having his issues addressed are :-

- Organisation's administration department which deals with policies and regulations .

- Mistreatment reporting authority

- Elderly abuse reporting facility