Culture

Culture is unique
Culture is life
Culture is us.

Culture is so unique to us.

It means something different to all of us whilst also meaning the same thing.

Culture is everything.

To ignore someone's culture is to ignore their identity, the importance of it and the nuances within it.
But understanding someone's culture can change everything.
It means understanding the layers of what is important to them, what raised them and who they are.

And in healthcare, we should not irradicate this. We cannot irradiate this.
It is just as important as someone's health, the two intertwine, just like DNA.
Understanding someone's culture allows insight and this insight is important when looking at lifestyle changes and how to successfully adopt these into our everyday life.

Integrating someone's culture within healthcare treatment allows an opening for goals to be orientated around strong elements within the said culture and from my experience, regardless of country or religion, there are certain traits that exist in all that we can appreciate and those are food, music and family.

Music
Using music within treatment sessions has been a game changer, it makes my clients happy, BUT that is only if it is something relevant to them. There's no point in me putting on a song I love, it has to be relevant to them, it has to be their favourite Bollywood song or gospel song, it has to do with them!
Now if I didn't understand that I would be wasting my time and ultimately annoying a client, well maybe not annoy but definitely get an eye roll!

Family
Integrating and getting family support when going through rehab is so important!! We always need to use our support systems and this is especially crucial during our rehab journey which can feel incredibly isolating and tiring. Humans were not made to be isolated creatures and getting that little extra bit of encouragement from friends can make a world of difference.
I found this did not happen within the NHS due to time restrictions, however, with my client’s consent I emphasise getting family members involved to help keep them on track but also so the family can stay involved and understand the client's current issues and what we are doing to manage them. I help explain so my clients don't have to.

Food
We all love food, a lot of us especially love cooking it and it is a bit part of our daily routine and a significant part of our culture and family time. Now when this gets taken away from you because you can't stand up for a long period of time, this can be heartbreaking, but together we can find a way to reintroduce it back into our lives again. Adapting to our current needs is important, so in this case, we could chop the veg sitting down, take breaks when standing and strengthen on a daily basis.
I know from previous clients that not being able to prepare food significantly impacted how they looked and felt about themselves so if this is important to you, we will make sure we set it as a goal and work together to achieve it.

These are a few examples of what culture can mean, but we all know there's so much more. We know it means understanding where you grew up, what languages you speak, your mindset on health and so much more. That's why, when we first meet I take the time to understand what it means to you, letting you show me what's important and helping me tailor this treatment to your needs and culture.