Once upon a time, healthcare followed a one-size-fits-all blueprint: assess, prescribe, and move on. But as America’s population grows more racially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse, that model no longer works, especially in home care and home health.
Cultural competency, defined as the ability of providers to understand and respond to patients’ cultural and linguistic needs, is no longer a nice-to-have. It’s essential. Nearly 40% of the U.S. identifies as a racial or ethnic minority, yet disparities in care access, health outcomes, and trust persist. Health isn’t just clinical. It’s personal, and hence person-centered must depend on cultural awareness.
What is Cultural Competency in Home Health?
Cultural competency in home care and home health is the ability to recognise, respect, and respond to a person’s cultural beliefs, values, behaviours, and family dynamics. It means understanding that health is shaped by context: cultural, historical, and social, and not just clinical charts.
Historically marginalised communities often face unequal treatment, limited access, and poor outcomes. Cultural competence helps close those gaps. It reduces implicit bias, builds trust, and allows care to meet patients where they are.
Aligned with person-centered care, cultural competence brings care to life. That might mean accommodating dietary needs during Ramadan, adjusting visit times around prayer, or recognising that some families make medical decisions collectively.
Over 19 million Americans speak English less than “very well,” and more than 40 million struggle with low literacy. These barriers can lead to missed medications, misunderstood instructions, and avoidable hospital visits. Without culturally appropriate care, patients are left behind.
Evidence backs this up. Provider-patient racial concordance improves communication and outcomes. A 2019 PLOS ONE study found that culturally informed interventions improved trust, adherence, and care quality—especially for those historically overlooked.
The Benefits of Culturally Competent Home Care and Home Health
- Improved communication
When caregivers understand a patient’s language and cultural cues, it cuts through confusion. Clearer communication means fewer misunderstandings, more accurate assessments, and care plans that actually make sense.
- Stronger Trust with Patients and Families
When cultural context is ignored, trust erodes. More than 1 in 3 Black and Asian Americanssay they believe they would have received better care if they were of a different race or ethnicity. Cultural competence helps undo this damage. It signals respect and builds a partnership around the patient’s real-world needs.
- Higher Satisfaction
Satisfaction rises when care feels respectful and relevant. For example, Spanish-speaking Latinos are significantly less likely to be satisfied with their care and more likely to report problems, especially when non-professional interpreters are used. Patients who use professional interpreters or see bilingual providers report satisfaction levels equal to English speakers.
- Better Health Outcomes
Chronic disease hits harder in communities that face barriers to care. African Americans and Latinos are more likely to report at least one chronic condition such as diabetes, heart disease, or depression. These groups are also less likely to receive preventive services.
PurposeCare’s Commitment to Cultural Competence
Your Care is Our Purpose” isn’t just a tagline; but our promise. That promise comes to life through our unwavering commitment to cultural competence, person-centered care, and health equity. We believe that delivering exceptional home-based care begins with understanding who our patients are, where they come from, what they value, and how they define wellbeing.
We hire diverse caregivers to better reflect the communities we serve and tailor services to respect patients’ dietary practices, religious observances, and communication preferences. If a client observes specific prayer times or dietary laws, our caregivers accommodate and honour those practices. We also recognize the central role family often plays in decision-making, particularly in Black, Latino, and Asian households, and ensure care plans include those voices.
Our in-service training further reinforces these values by supporting staff’s understanding of cultural sensitivity. This leads to stronger caregiver-client relationships, better adherence to care plans, and higher satisfaction for both clients and care teams.
A More Inclusive Future for Home-Based Care
Culturally competent care is a necessity. As our communities grow more diverse, so must our commitment to delivering care that respects every individual’s beliefs, traditions, and lived experiences.
At PurposeCare, we believe no one should have to choose between care and comfort. That’s why our caregivers are trained to recognise cultural nuance, respect family dynamics, and deliver care that feels like home.
If you’re navigating care decisions for yourself or a loved one, we encourage you to ask providers how they support cultural needs. And if you want a partner who treats your family like their own, get in touch with PurposeCare today. Because your care is our purpose.