Cultural Influences in health beliefs in many parts of the modern-day world.
Culture influences health beliefs in many parts of the modern-day world. The world’s cultural beliefs have systems of health that many people use to explain various things like disease causes, how to treat, and who to be involved in the treatment process.
Health care practitioners should always consider the cultural beliefs of patients and their loved ones to understand the best ways to be used in giving care. It is important to ask the family about their cultural beliefs and what they think might have caused the accident. This will enable a nurse to understand if the family will be willing to accept the treatment of their patient from the hospital. This information will also play a critical role in the patient’s compliance with the medical procedure being administered. The nurse should also ask about who the decision-makers in the family are and who should be the family spokesperson (Chen, Mak, & Lam, 2020). The nurse should also ask the family if they believe the church is a support system as they cope with their current situation.
A practicing nurse in this situation should be strict to the guidelines given on offering an opportunity to family members to see their patient if the patient’s condition worsens. This act however has associated risks and benefits. Option to witness should not be offered in a situation where it compromises the safety of the family members. A nurse should also consider possible disruptions of the professionals’ efforts to treat the patient (Robinson, 2021). Family members who have experience of such an environment or can stand strong during the whole process should be allowed.
Religious beliefs are associated with patients forgoing needed medical care and life-saving procedures. The mother in this case deeply appreciates the relationship between living healthy and being spiritual. She believes that committing suicide is a disgrace and the dead will go to hell. She is strong in her faith as opposed to the appropriate medical procedures needed. The culture of the mother associates committing suicide with a sinner who is a curse and cannot go to heaven. Spiritual and religious beliefs, as well as associated activities, can interfere with interpreting the causes of death (Chen, Mak, & Lam, 2020). In this situation, the cause of death according to the mother is a curse.
A healthcare practitioner in this case should first respect the mother’s opinion. The mother’s opinion is inclined to her culture and beliefs she has about the dead. A practicing healthcare officer should help the mother understand the causes of the death. In this situation, the patient who commits suicide is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. This disease causes memory destruction and disrupts the normal function of the brain. This is the information that the mother lacks. People suffering from this disease are exposed to great risks of committing suicide. This Filipino man is an example of a patient who had a mild state of the disease. The mother should be informed about the best ways to give home-based care to people living with this mental disorder (Robinson, 2021). She should also be informed about the importance of healthcare facilities in treating diseases that are found in the community.