Culturally Congruent Care for Older People: Finnish Care in Sweden

An increasing number of older people belong to minority and immigrant groups. This calls for new models on the subject of how to provide culturally adjusted care for these populations. The aim of this study is to describe how cultural congruency is used in care for older Finnish immigrants in order to promote their well-being. The study was conducted with an ethnographic design, based on participant observations and interviews among residents, staff, and visitors in the Finnish Home in Sweden. In the core of the cultural congruency is the use of the Finnish language, and the fact that both residents and staff have Finnish backgrounds. In addition to this, Finnish customs and celebrations, popular culture, and topics of discussion, are actively used in order to create a common ground for communication and shared understanding of the individual person. Cultural congruency, based on the residents' mother language, shared ethnic background with staff, and shared customs creates a common ground for communication and an understanding. This enables caring relationships, which, in turn, increases the residents' well-being.