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Aging and Ethnicity

WoodGreen Community Services provides services to seniors and older adults with disabilities to help achieve the best quality of life possible. They recognize the importance of considering factors such as ethnicity, language barriers, and cultural differences in order to provide culturally sensitive and inclusive services.

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Aging and Ethnicity

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  1. Aging and Ethnicity Responding to Diversity in Senior Services WoodGreen Community Services

  2. WoodGreen Community Services WoodGreen provides service to seniors and older adults with disabilities to help achieve the best quality of life possible.

  3. WoodGreen’s mission is to deliver services that promote wellness and self-sufficiency, reduce poverty and inequality and build sustainable communities. WoodGreen Community Services

  4. “...Ethnic and ‘racial’ groups are not homogeneous entities; they differ in terms of their social class composition, gender, age, place of birth, and so on.” Social Workers must take all factors into account to provide service that truly accommodates all cultures. Satzewich V. & Liodakis N. (2007). ‘Race ‘ and Ethnicity in Canada. WoodGreen Community Services Ethnicity in Social Services

  5. WoodGreen Community Services Toronto: A City of Neighbourhoods

  6. WoodGreen Community Services Ward 31: Beaches - East York South Asian and Greek 9.6% - “Mother tongue” is a South Asian language 5.1% - Bengali speakers (then Urdu and Tamil) VS 4% - in the City of Toronto as a whole ----------------------------------------------- 8.2% - Self-Identify as South Asian Source: City of Toronto Ward Profiles, Statistics Canada Census. 2006.

  7. WoodGreen Community Services Ward 30: Toronto Danforth Chinese 20.5% - "mother tongue” is a Chinese language Cantonese 9.6%; Mandarin 3.1%; other 7.8% VS 9.5% - for the City of Toronto as a whole ------------------------ 22% - Identify as Chinese Source: City of Toronto Ward Profiles, Statistics Canada Census. 2006.

  8. WoodGreen Community Services WoodGreen Community Services Ward 29: Toronto Danforth Greek 10.7% report Greek as their "mother tongue” ------------------------ 13% - Identify as Greek VS 1.6% - City of Toronto as a whole. Source: City of Toronto Ward Profiles, Statistics Canada Census. 2006.

  9. Isolation Caregiver Stress Low income Declining Health (Coping with Chronic illness), Mental Health, Dementia WoodGreen Community Services Barriers/ Issues of our Clients • Dependence on sponsor • Language barriers • Knowledge of the system • Loss of ‘anchor’ person • Abuse

  10. WoodGreen Community Services Case Study: David • 72 years old • Identifies as Greek • Living with his Daughter’s family • Relationship with family is abusive • Paid portion of the mortgage, rent monthly • Daughter and family occupy the client’s space • Client stated that he feels threatened and neglected by his family

  11. WoodGreen Community Services Critical Questions • What are my personal beliefs about entitlement of seniors re: family support? • How do I react personally to this situation? • How do I separate the clients needs from my own belief system re: what seniors need? • How does the client’s ability level, culture and socio-economic status intersect to create a unique situation?

  12. WoodGreen Community Services Intervention • Assess the client’s situation for abuse • Provide the client with emergency services and after hours support • Inform about legal rights • Provide supportive counselling & mediation • Refer to CCAC: Personal Support Worker to replace caregiver with formal support

  13. WoodGreen Community Services Case Study- Sataia • 62 years old • Came to Canada as refugee from Pakistan • Lives with son and his family including three young children • Diagnosed with progressive degeneration disease • Client is bed-ridden • Son is the sole income earner • The daughter-in-law is the primary caregiver; she lately shows symptoms of depression.

  14. WoodGreen Community Services Critical Questions • What is my knowledge of the refugee experience in Canada? How does this impact the client? • What is my personal bias regarding the role of the son as “sole income earner”? • What is my personal bias regarding caregiver burnout/boundaries? How does my culture/ social location impact this?

  15. WoodGreen Community Services Intervention 1) To assess client’s needs with reference to the whole family 2) To work with the son to help client so as to relieve the son’s stress. 3) Help client access resources: hospital bed, subsidized housing, financial assistance, day care in the neighbourhood 4) Refer to CCAC: Personal care/ respite care and work in collaboration

  16. WoodGreen Community Services WoodGreen Community Services Case Study - Matthew • 61 years old, Legally Blind • Cantonese speaking only • Sponsored by his one of his sisters from China 20 years ago • No family involvement • Rents basement apartment for past 10 years • Chinese-speaking Landlord is his ‘anchor’ and ‘gatekeeper’ • No medical history • Recently hospitalized after being found wandering • Client instructed to take eye drops 4x/day at home after discharge 

  17. WoodGreen Community Services Critical Questions • What assumptions do I have regarding sponsorship and the role of his sister/family? • What is my bias as a Chinese worker? • What culturally-appropriate services should we consider?

  18. WoodGreen Community Services Intervention • To assess client’s situation with landlord’s input • CCAC Referral for Visiting Nurse and Cantonese-speaking family physician made by hospital • Cantonese-speaking medical escort • Housing application to Supportive Housing site • Work with CNIB for Mobility specialist and Life Skills Coach • Keep regular contact with Landlord and Meals on Wheels staff

  19. WoodGreen Community Services Creativity of Social Work • Liaise with internal colleagues and external providers to offer more accessible resources • Working with various parties as interpreters • Cantonese/ Mandarin speaking social workers available • Community visits to make communication easier i.e. home visits, hospital visits

  20. WoodGreen Community Services WoodGreen Community Services Adapting to Diversity in Programming Supportive Housing/Home Support: Provide Chinese focused housing and multicultural PSWs Meals on Wheels: Chinese meals available Friendly Visiting/Escort: Provides service in several languages such as English, Tamil, Gugarati, Cantonese, Greek, Italian, French, Spanish Adult Day Program: Chinese focused option, all other cultures/ languages are welcome Doc Clinic: Support provided in Chinese

  21. WoodGreen Community Services WoodGreen Community Services Questions and Comments

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