Promoting LatinX Generativity: Cultural Humility and Transformative Complicity Through Geriatric Teams

Abstract

This article highlights social work, critical thinking, and an ethic of care in geriatric teamwork to promote generativity and the well-being of LatinX elderly. We offer the tripartite paradigm of cultural humility, transformative complicity, and empowerment to reduce power imbalances between service providers, elderly persons, and their communities. A force field analysis considers the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPAC) and Accountable Care Organizations (ACO) to understand the restraining and driving forces affecting the institutionalization of inter/transdisciplinary teams. Effective evidence-based models that humanize geriatric services are offered to counter the current biomedical emphasis of Medicare/Medicaid policies and less-than-responsive geriatric institutional and educational systems. We highlight Bloom and Farragher’s Sanctuary Model of compassionate and democratic practices to address the negative effects of moral entrepreneurship and ageism. The case of Florence, an LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and questioning) grandparent with multiple health issues, is analyzed from biomedical, person in the environment, and a strength-based perspective.

Harmonizing Beliefs With Realities: Social Support Among Older Puerto Ricans With Disabilities

“…Recent research suggests "convoys of care," a combination of formal and informal support can improve the quality of life of older adults who experience increasing functional decline (Kemp, Ball, & Perkins, 2013). These formal interventions or services should engage in cultural humility and seek to understand within-group variation, or differences at the individual level (Duntley-Matos et al, 2017;Hook et al, 2016). For example, formal service professionals should not underestimate the social support needs of Puerto Ricans, given presumptions about the availability of family caregivers that may characterize them as a group (Almeida et al, 2011;Weiss et al, 2005).…”

Cultural Humility, Human Research Ethics Review, and Informed Consent

“…The phrase “cultural humility” is drawn from medical literature (Tervalon & Murray-Garcia, 1998) and has been more recently developed in the psychological sciences (Hook et al, 2013). This literature is focused on increased cultural sensitivity in the practices of counseling, nursing (e.g., Cuellar, 2018; Duntley-Matos et al, 2017), and medicine (Tervalon & Murray-Garcia, 1998). Cultural humility, within this context, is described as the “ability to maintain an interpersonal stance that is other-oriented (or open to the other) in relation to aspects of cultural identity that are most important to the [other]” (Hook et al, 2013, p. 354):One can never be the “expert” in understanding difference, thus taking a posture of humility is important.…”

“…Cultural humility enables team members to transcend from a position of “expert knowledge” to a position of ongoing mutual exploration and learning. (Duntley-Matos et al, 2017, p. 5)…”