Sing Mei Chan’s research while affiliated with University of British Columbia and other places

Linguistic and ethnocultural diversity in long-term residential care is a growing trend in many urban settings. When long-term care staff and residents do not share the same language or ethnocultural background, the quality of their communication and care are jeopardized. There is very little research addressing how staff and residents communicate when they experience a mismatch in their language and ethnocultural backgrounds. Thus, the goals of the present study were to 1) document the verbal and nonverbal behaviours used by staff and residents in diverse interactions, and 2) identify and account for behaviours that either promoted or detracted from positive communication by drawing on principles from 'Communication Accommodation Theory'. Two long-term care facilities in British Columbia Canada were selected due to the diverse linguistic and ethnocultural backgrounds of their staff and residents. Twenty-seven staff and 27 residents consented to being video-recorded during routine activities (e.g., mealtimes, recreational activities). The recorded observations were transcribed, translated, and coded using qualitative descriptive and interpretive analyses. A number of verbal and nonverbal behaviours were identified and interpreted in relation to whether they promoted or detracted from positive communication. The findings point to considering a variety of proactive strategies that staff and administrators could employ to effectively accommodate to language and ethnocultural diversity in long-term care practice.

Literature indicates that dementia caring is difficult and challenging. This literature is scarce for ethnic minorities and lacking most acutely, despite its huge diasporic population, for the Chinese group. Where available, the focus is mostly on the Chinese carer, with the regular absence of the person with dementia and the interactions of the care-partners. From an interpretive phenomenological perspective, this in-depth case study of four Chinese immigrant families takes Kitwood’s (1997) personhood approach to include the Chinese person with dementia. Findings show how this inclusion is possible and important for better understanding and effecting dementia care in research, policy, and practice.

Family support groups (FSG) are an important source of intervention for caregivers of an older, frailer, or ill family member. Whether and how FSG works within ethnic minority groups is not well understood, however. Drawing on data from a sub-set of a larger qualitative study focused on exploring the impact of participating in a family support group, this study examined how culture influenced the FSG experience of Chinese family caregivers. In-depth, personal interviews were conducted with six Chinese family caregivers about their experiences participating in a family support group. Analysis suggested that while many of the participants' experiences with the family support groups were not inconsistent with those reported by mainstream participants, the overarching theme that dominated their stories was different and was strongly linked to culture by all of the participants. Specifically, participants framed their experience in the support groups as pivotal for helping them become more assertive in relation to the care needs of their relative and themselves. Through the process of attending the groups, participants began to: (1) challenge the cultural values and beliefs about “speaking out” as negative, (2) reframe and recognize the value of “speaking out” as an important aspect of care provision, and (3) re-envision a new framework for providing care. This enabled family members to reposition themselves in their care-partnering role and find a voice within the broader health care system.