Different cultures have varying health care practices and beliefs. There are the cultures which believe in traditional healing and use of herbs while others believe in the use of calm spirits to calm themselves down. The traditional practices are carried down in generations and practices even in the presence of modern medicine since the cultural groups believe in the success in using the medical practices (Dye, 2013). Heritage assessment is necessary since it determines the plans that will be made for maintenance of health, ensuring protection and the restoration of the health of a group of people.
Heritage assessment is necessary for health maintenance, promotion, and restoration due to the needs of the diversity of the population especially in the developed countries such as the United States of America (USA). There is an increasing number of immigrants who move to the high-income nations after replacements due to war; others move due to poverty and unemployment (Kelly, 2014). The more the diverse groups of people in a nation are, the more the cultural interaction that takes place. In the healthcare, challenges of addressing the different groups are faced by the medical practitioners. It is hard for culturally-based healthcare to be provided due to lack of personnel who understand the needs of the patients. However, through the use of the heritage assessment tool, it is easy to establish the cultural believes and practices of the patient, which promotes their healthcare system (In Upvall and In Leffers, 2014).
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The use of cultural-based care has scared away the medical practitioners since they may not have the same beliefs and consider some as outdated and may end up harming the welfare of the patients. Through the heritage assessment, the doctors and nurses can address all the cultural needs thus promoting health restoration. Through the evaluation of the heritage of the patients, the providers are able to learn about different cultural needs, values, and attitudes which play a significant role in healthcare. The practitioners should try to integrate the modern medicine with cultural practices to ensure the satisfaction of the patients (Kersey-Matusiak, 2013).
The heritage assessment of my Hispanic culture involved an individual known as Maria Cordero. The identification with the traditional heritage is determined by the number of positive answers provided. The environment in which a person was brought up also determines their alignment with conventional believes. In the case of Maria Cordero who was brought up in El Salvador, Central America and migrated to the United States at the age of 18 years old. As she recalls she grew up in in a rural region where access to be seen by doctors and medications was scarce. Maria shares that her family followed the tradition passed by ancestors to treat ailments with home-made remedies. She explains that most important her family would pray to God since they belong to the Catholic faith to cure their loved ones. Then, depending on the health symptoms home remedies were administered. For example, she explains a cough with wheezing sound in the chest would be treated at home by rubbing a mixture of Vicks vapor rub, eucalyptus leaves, and menthol. A paste was made with these ingredients, rubbed in chest area, back, forehead and feet. She adds that a tea was prepared with natural honey bee, lemon, and eucalyptus leaves and was given to the person with a cough. In the urban areas, the traditional medical methods have been replaced by the introduction of modern medicine and the cultural approaches are considered as outdated.
In the case of Maria Cordero, she has also maintained contact with her aunts, uncles, and cousins an indication of cultural contact despite the current concept of individualism where family ties have been broken down. The Hispanics seem to be immersed in their traditional practices, and when determining health improvements, these methods will help establish best alternative methods (Spector, 2000).
To study the Japanese heritage assessment, Shigeo Kowakasawa was used as an example. Shigeo shares he came to the United States at the age of 25. He was raised in Japan and resided in an urban region. He adds that he and his family back in Japan practiced their believe in the religion, Shinto. However, he is not as involved in his religion now that he lives in the USA due to his busy schedule. Shigeo shares that in his Japanese culture they focus on preventing ailments. He shares that in his religion daily spiritual meditation is important to calm the mind and spirit. He recalls that his family would take daily walks, include fruits and vegetables in their diet, drink green tea after every meal, and made a rule never to argue when eating meals as a family. Shigeo shares that his parents traditionally drink a special home-made tea made of a root called, knotweed which they grow in their back yard. Shigeo adds that this plant helps prevent many ailments such as, memory loss, reduces cholesterol, keeps blood pressure in normal ranges among other health benefits.Shigeo clarifies that although his heritage focuses on preventing ailments he and his family also included routine visits to traditional doctors.He shares that although he and his family follow their heritage traditions, they acknowledge the benefits of modern medications.
To study the traditional medical beliefs and practices of the African American people, Latoya Clark was interviewed. The subject grew up in the urban area of Florida in the United States. Her family roots, she shares come from Alabama, Georgia and Kentucky. She acknowledges that although her family heritage includes slavery and oppression endured by her ancestors. Latoya states that her grandparents in the South part of the USA believe in rituals, special dances and the consumption of cannabis plants to cure body aches, nausea, and improve stamina. Latoya acknowledges that although she respects her family heritage and traditions,she currently practices the Pentecostal faith, which focuses on how to live a stress-free life, not cause or wish harm to others, and help those in need. Close family ties were highly embedded in her upbringing. It can be recognized fromthe assessment since she keeps contacts with aunts, uncles, and cousins. The close contact could act as a reminder of the shared cultural beliefs such as traditional medical practices (Goldberg, 2015).
The Hispanics, African Americans and Japanese are ethnic people, as seen in their beleieves of holding to their practices such as religion. These groups have also adopted modern medicine despite the location of the patient that is in the rural or urban areas. However, the African Americans and Hispanics are more cultural since they use traditional medical practices.
When the health practitioners are aware of what takes place such as the study of herbs and how they can be used alongside various modern medicines without causing harm to the patients. When the patient has sought to use traditional medicine, they should consult with a knowledgeable practitioner to offer help. Some of the traditional methods such as the use of burnt herbs, it is necessary to determine if the method is safe to use. There are various factors that should be considered when conducting the assessment such as beliefs on how the body, mind, and soul are linked together with nature and how it can support the development (Jadelhack, 2013).
Despite the western medicine being widespread in the society, some people still value their traditional medical beliefs. It is necessary for the healthcare system to introduce safe traditional healing approaches as long as they are researched on and determined safe for the specific groups of people. When addressing a patient, it is necessary to evaluate their heritage since it helps learn what should be done and what to avoid which will promote healing and satisfaction of patients.
References
Dye, C. (2013). WHO and the future of disease control programmes. Public Health, 413-417.
Goldberg, D. S. (2015). Social Justice, Health Inequalities and Methodological Individualism in US Health Promotion. Public Health Ethics, 104–115.
In Upvall, M. J., & In Leffers, J. (2014). Global health nursing: Building and sustaining partnerships.
Jadelhack. (2013). Health promotion in nursing and cost-effectiveness. NCBI, 65-8.
Kelly, C. (2014). Heritage assessment in nursing. Munich: GRIN Verlag GmbH.
Kersey-Matusiak, G. (2013). Delivering culturally competent nursing care. New York, NY: Springer Pub. Co.
Spector, R. E. (2000). CulturalCare: Guide to heritage assessment and health traditions (5th ed.). Pearson Education/PH College.
