PSYC FPX 4900 Assessment 1 A Cultural Crisis with a Lack of Professional Competency PSYC FPX 4900 Psychology Capstone Project A Cultural Crisis with a Lack of Professional Competency: A Case Study
Lucia Cordova, a 32-year-old Hispanic woman, serves as the primary caretaker for her grandmother, Elena Cordova. Elena moved in with Lucia and her husband Martin about five years ago after the passing of her own husband. Recently, Elena has exhibited signs of potential memory issues, such as getting lost on her way home from the park. In one instance, the police found her and returned her home after Lucia and Martin became concerned when they couldn’t locate her in the neighborhood. On another occasion, they found her two miles away in a supermarket parking lot. Lucia expressed her concerns about her grandmother possibly having Alzheimer’s disease to her friend, Hannah Kennard, a school counselor at Cargill Academy.
The conversation took place while they were volunteering at Habitat for Humanity. Hannah referred Lucia to Dr. Bhandari, a specialist in memory and aging. However, Elena was upset that Lucia had arranged the referral without discussing it with her first, as Elena believed her issues were simply due to a lack of sleep. Despite her grandmother’s objections, Lucia took Elena to see Dr. Bhandari. During the visit, a nurse took Elena’s vital signs without explanation, and Dr. Bhandari, of Indian descent, only realized that Elena did not understand English very well after entering the room. Consequently, Dr. Bhandari directed her communication to Lucia instead. However, Lucia struggled to fully understand the doctor due to her thick accent. Lucia believed she understood the doctor’s request for some tests for her grandmother, but she did not explain the details to Elena, leading to Elena’s anger upon returning home, possibly due to the treatment she received from both Lucia and Dr. Bhandari.
Addressing Cultural Differences and Competency
This case study highlights significant gaps in cultural competency, particularly in the interactions involving Hannah, the school counselor, and Dr. Bhandari’s medical practice. It also reflects the complexities of identity at the intersection of multiculturalism, familism, and cultural contextualism within the Cordova family (Comas-Díaz, 2012a; Anzaldúa, 1987; Moya, 2001). Lucia exhibits what is known as a “crossroads identity,” where she navigates between her Hispanic culture and the dominant American culture. However, Elena may embody a different aspect of racial identity development, possibly showing a lack of tolerance for those outside her ethnic group. Familism, which emphasizes strong family bonds and interdependence throughout life stages, is evident in both Elena and Lucia.
In contrast, the dominant culture often prioritizes independence depending on an individual’s stage of life. Hannah and Dr. Bhandari failed to demonstrate cultural awareness and sensitivity, leading to a lack of cultural contextualism and syncretistic spirituality in their interactions with Elena and Lucia. These shortcomings in cultural competency can have detrimental effects on professional conduct, particularly in clinical practices like medicine and therapy, where understanding and respecting cultural differences are crucial for providing effective care. Without adequate training in cultural competency, healthcare professionals risk causing harm to clients, particularly in a multicultural society like the United States (Hays, 2016; Capella University, n.d.).
An Analysis of the Issues
Hannah and Dr. Bhandari’s interactions with Lucia and Elena revealed a lack of cultural competence, impacting the quality of care and support provided. These cultural differences not only created ethical dilemmas but also highlighted the potential for similar issues to arise in the care of other Hispanic Americans or individuals from different ethnic backgrounds if cultural competency is not adequately addressed through training and skill development.
Cultural Issues
Hannah and Dr. Bhandari did not appropriately consider Lucia’s role as a middle-aged Hispanic American woman and caretaker or Elena’s status as an elderly, recently widowed Hispanic woman before making referrals for dementia testing. This oversight aligns with Hays’s (2016) model of addressing cultural differences, which emphasizes the importance of considering factors like age, gender, assumed diagnosis, ethnicity, religiosity, and socioeconomic status (Capella University, n.d.). Neither Lucia nor Elena’s age was adequately considered in a culturally relevant manner, reflecting a broader issue in how non-Hispanic Americans may approach these factors. Hannah could have provided Lucia and Martin with evidence-based coping strategies and asked more detailed questions about Elena’s history, including her religious beliefs, spiritual practices, familism, and potential experiences of depression or anxiety following her husband’s de