My story: Christine’s journey into cross-cultural care for people living with dementia mate wareware

I had always been empathetic, but over time, I saw my team faced unique struggles that often went unnoticed. My care staff, both caregivers and nurses, are migrants. Some are from the Philippines, India, and even parts of Asia and Africa. They came with a deep commitment to care, but the cultural disconnect between them and their residents living with dementia mate wareware was noticeably clear.

Confusion
I often saw confusion in their eyes as they struggled to engage with their residents in the facility who had dementia mate wareware. Their residents would sometimes be lost in time, disconnected from the present, calling out for people they no longer recognised, or speaking in a way that didn’t make sense. My care staff (caregivers and nurses) were often unsure how to respond, especially when the residents’ responses were shaped by memories and values that were so different from what they knew in their own upbringing.

Some care partners and nurses even struggled with the concept of elder care itself. In our culture, elderly family members live at home and are cared for by younger generations, which is common as well to some Asian countries/nationalities, such as Vietnam, China, India, South Africa etc.

It was difficult for some of the care staff members to understand why western culture (Kiwis) chose to place their aging parents in care homes. The idea of “responsibility” towards elders was more communal in their home countries, while the individualistic nature of the society we now live in was a concept they were still trying to navigate.

Stress
I also observed the stress and confusion among my team. One particular nurse, from the Philippines, came to me and she was distraught after a challenging shift – one of her residents had been agitated, calling for her “son” who had passed away years ago. She told me that she tried to calm this resident down and distract her, but the situation only escalated.  She told me that she is unsure of how to comfort her, and she responded in a way that felt distant and impersonal.

“I didn’t know how to handle it,” she said. “In my culture, we keep our elderly close. We care for them like they are part of the family. But here, I don’t know how to connect. I’m always afraid I might say or do something wrong.” Among my staff this was not an unusual feeling.

More education
I heard her concerns, so I tried to help her to deescalate the situation. Observing that my staff needed more education, especially when communicating to resident living with dementia mate wareware, I made sure that I conducted an in-service education session with them every fortnight to help and support them to bridge the gap.

And, since I observed that there are cultural gaps, I also conducted some sessions to support them and make sure that they are also enrolled in a dementia micro-credentials course where they will be equipped with the knowledge of how to approach and understand dementia mate wareware, and their residents. As the unit coordinator I needed to find a way to bridge these cultural gaps – to help my team connect with their residents in a way that was both culturally sensitive and compassionate.

To support my staff, residents and their family, I enrolled myself in dementia courses in Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia. I also arranged education sessions for my team, especially compassionate care courses designed to help healthcare professionals work with people living with dementia mate wareware.

I think such courses will help all of us to understand the emotional, psychological, and cultural needs of people living with dementia mate wareware, as well as the importance of empathy and patience. And this is one of the reasons why I write my research paper, entitled A Nurse-Led Capacity Building Program for Dementia Caregivers in Rendering Person-Centred Care.

An eye-opener
The migrant care staff members who undergo dementia micro-credentials and attend the education sessions that I am conducting, told me that it was an eye-opener for them, and it helped them understand that dementia care isn’t just about managing symptoms; it’s about seeing the person as a whole – cultural history and all.

They learned strategies to communicate with patients, even when language or cognitive barriers made things difficult. It wasn’t about “fixing” the person living with dementia mate wareware, it was about offering care that was compassionate, culturally sensitive, and patient-centred.

For example, one of my care partners learned about the concept of “life story work”, the idea that a person’s past can provide clues for engaging with them in the present. I worked with my care partner to create a “life story book” for his resident, and we incorporated her favourite memories, songs, and cultural traditions. When my care partner used these elements in her care, his resident responded calmly.

They told me that it encouraged them to think about their own cultural backgrounds and how that shaped their views on dementia care. For me, this was a profound moment of self-discovery. As a Filipino nurse leader working in New Zealand, there is an expectation for me to understand and live, consider and respect the Western idea of independence and personal space. But through my daily experiences and learnings from my mentors, reading articles and attending courses, I began to realise how this affected my approach to my residents and staff from more collectivist cultures.

An environment of independence and connection
It made me rethink how to create an environment where both independence and connection could coexist, where families and staff felt included in the caregiving process.

As weeks, months and years passed, I saw a change in my team. They started to develop stronger, more meaningful connections with their residents, drawing on their life stories to engage them in conversation. I have another nurse, from India; she found that introducing familiar songs and rituals into her care routines helped her patients feel more at ease. I am proud to say that my team began to see dementia care through a different lens, one that was more compassionate and attuned to the diversity of their patients’ backgrounds.

Cultural shift
The cultural shift in the team also impacted the overall care environment. The residents began to feel more at home, their individual histories honoured and integrated into their care. Conversations became less about what the staff could do for the patients and more about what they could learn from them.

I also noticed a ripple effect on my team’s morale. They were now empowered. They felt more confident in their ability to connect with their residents and more supported. I am happy as I had created a safe space for them to explore their challenges, learn new approaches, and feel like integral members of the care team.

Dementia mate wareware not just a disease
Before I left, I knew that my team saw dementia mate wareware not as a disease that erased identity, but as a journey where each person’s story still mattered. The care partners and nurses learned to be more present, more compassionate, and more willing to adapt. My leadership helped foster a culture of care where cultural differences weren’t barriers but bridges, connecting staff, patients, and families in a shared understanding of what it means to live with dementia mate wareware.

Through this transformation, I came to realise that dementia care isn’t just about thinking about the disease, it’s about thinking about the person, and how best to honour their past while offering them the dignity and respect they deserve in the present. And in that journey, everyone – patients and care partners alike – could find a common humanity.