Stumbling, Not Falling Reviewing Cultural Competency in Fall Prevention Among Older Indigenous People

Abstract

This case study review analyzes Healthy Aging through Fall Prevention among Older Aboriginal People: From Many Voices to a Shared Vision by Reading et al. (2011) through a lens of cultural competency. In addressing the topic of how fall risks affect a specific cultural group, the report highlights the cultural competency pitfalls inherent to the early stages of research. In a report summarizing a symposium held to address fall risks for older Indigenous people, the authors essentialize Indigenous people by referring to them as one cultural mass. They also do not make clear use of the information gathered in this symposium, focusing only on general cultural information rather than individual Indigenous experiences. This report highlights potential improvements in culturally safe and sensitive health care by analysis through Rose’s cultural competency continuum and Delvecchio Good & Hannah’s process-oriented approach. Integrative research methods such as Knowledge Translation and Participatory Action Research are utilized by the researchers to begin addressing the limitations found in the report. The balance between these positive and negative aspects effectively highlights the obstacles inherent to culturally competency research.