Background: Increasing global migration creates new challenges for multicultural societies in providing equitable care. Culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) people with dementia who move into care homes find themselves in an environment where health professionals do not speak their language and the access to cultural activities is limited. When designing care home environments for CALD dementia residents, culture is a key consideration. This integrative review aims to highlight what elements of care home environments are reported to meet culture-specific needs of CALD residents with dementia.
Methods: The search strategy included search terms for care homes, various forms of dementia and the CALD population. A systematic search was carried out in six databases. Eligible articles were original peer-reviewed studies published in 2013-2024 that contained examples of how care home environments had been used. All screenings and extractions were carried out by two independent researchers.
Results: The database search resulted in 4311 records. After the screening process, 27 articles were found to meet the eligibility criteria. The review findings are categorized according to components of the WHO’s International classification of functioning, disability and health (ICF). Results linked to the ICF component Activities and participation, stress the importance of communication in the resident’s preferred language, social and supportive relationships and culturally relevant activities, while the component Environmental factors highlight the significance of ethnic food and support from culturally competent care professionals and family members.
Conclusions: This integrative review underlines the complexity of using environments to meet culture-specific needs of CALD residents with dementia. The findings highlight the importance of bilingual staff, culturally relevant activities and inclusive environments in enhancing communication, building interpersonal relationships and reducing frustration. This review gives suggestions on how care home environments may be adapted for CALD residents and encourages further research to find practical solutions for equitable care.