Cultural Competency in Dementia Care: An African American Case Study

Age is the greatest risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, the most common cause of dementia. The older population in the United States is growing, and within this demographic ethnic and racial diversity is also on the rise. This article introduces Stanford Health Care's Memory Support Program (MSP) as a model for culturally competent dementia care that spans inpatient and outpatient settings. The case study of an African American patient and family dealing with an Alzheimer's disease diagnosis and comorbid conditions is presented and explored to illustrate the MSP model. The authors make recommendations for the implementation of similar continuum of care services in other institutions. As research continues to show, the cultural competence of medical professionals can impact patient quality of care and health outcomes. More research is needed to appropriately support positive outcomes for patients and families of diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds.