Residential Care
For Greek elders and their families, placement in a residential facility is considered a last option. Only when all other avenues have been tried or considered, including aged community care services like HACC and CACP, and care provided by family members, will residential care be countenanced.
Often Greek elders are assessed as ‘high care’ or ‘dementia specific’ on point of entry into residential care because they have been cared for by family members in their own home for a significant period of time. When a Greek elder enters a residential facility, feelings of guilt and shame may be experienced by family members because they and the extended family, and even broader community networks, may equate residential care with the family’s inability to provide adequate care. From this point of view, the family has been unable to uphold the traditional obligations and responsibilities of caring for elders at home.
Guilt and shame may in turn heighten the level of expectation of service provision in the particular facility. Often family members expect the kind of care an elderly person would receive from their children and relatives at home to be matched in a residential facility. Given such high expectation, service providers must exercise care in relating to family members. They must have strategies for managing such expectations and thoroughly communicate the day-to-day operations, activities and services undertaken by staff.
Family Attitudes and Behaviours
It is important that service providers understand family attitudes and behaviours when it comes to handling complaints. It is not uncommon for Greek residents and their families to disregard a facility’s established processes and procedures and direct their complaint straight to senior management or the relevant government department. Directing a complaint ‘straight to the top’ comes with an expectation of an immediate outcome. This ‘culture of complaint’ is embedded in the Greek point of view that addressing issues at the most senior level is legitimate as it cuts out bureaucratic processes and validates the severity of the complaint.
Also, the Greek sense of self, defined in terms of family identity and strongly connected to Greek community networks, allows for family involvement in the elderly person’s care, even in a residential facility. Although resident care decisions like medication management, nutrition and the provision of meals are clearly the responsibility of the residential facility, it is not uncommon for Greek family members to bring home-cooked meals into the facility, or for a resident to seriously consider the advice and opinion of a family relative or friend on matters of their care, including health care. Elders are quite likely to see such advice and involvement as legitimate, even authoritative.
It is quite appropriate for facility staff to acknowledge the involvement of family members in the resident’s care. It is equally important for the facility to communicate the importance of its responsibility to monitor the resident’s health and well-being and thus also to highlight any actions of family members that might compromise the resident’s health status.
Visitors, Food and Gifts
The involvement of family and relatives in the life of the resident may also mean that there are large numbers of visitors. Consequently both the number of home-cooked food parcels and the noise levels may escalate! For the Greek elderly resident, having many visitors who are talkative and demonstrative reaffirms their sense of self and self worth, which is embedded in the Greek view of the world as communal – not individual or private. See also Greek Culture and Tradition to find out more about Greek values.
As a provider of residential aged care you may notice Greek family members offering gifts to facility staff. This may be an expression of sincere gratitude for the care and services you provide. It may also be directly linked to the Greek sense of obligation. The high value placed on obligation is based on a notion of reciprocity. Gift-giving is form of exchange in which the offer of a gift may be reciprocated with assistance.
Residential facility policy may prevent staff from accepting gifts from clients and family members, but not accepting a gift is offensive to Greeks. Once again, appropriate communication is the most effective strategy to overcome any tensions that might arise in this situation. Clear explanation of facility policy is important. However, your facility may wish to consider circumstances where accepting gifts is appropriate. For example, a gift of sweets could be accepted with an explanation that it will be shared by all staff and not just one individual.
Communication
The important place of culture in the life of the resident can be supported by residential facility staff in a number of ways. Effective communication is the starting point. Ensuring that facility staff are familiar with the Greek style of communication, employing relevant professional language services (especially at the point of entry and at family meetings), and attempting to communicate with basic Greek phrases are all important ways of establishing a relationship and obviating any misunderstandings. Greek Language and Communication and Basic Greek Phrases in Aged Care will help you to better understand and communicate more effectively with your client.
An understanding of Greek traditions, culture and religion will provide practitioners with the contextual background of some of the practices and behaviours of Greek elderly residents and their families. Explore this website for Cultural Advice and Information in planning culturally relevant resident activities. Consult our Directory of Greek Services for a broad range of Greek-specific professional services and community contacts to help ensure your client remains connected to the broader Greek community. Activities for Practitioners suggests some interesting activities that both you and your client will enjoy.
