How cultural and religious differences impact caregiving

What the patient and her son did not disclose to Hutz was that the mother was trying to fast during Ramadan. “They assumed that I would know, or they didn’t want to share it with me for some

reason,” Hutz says. “I felt that it was my fault not to delve deeper about, ‘Why is this patient having these issues during this time of year?’” Reflecting on that experience, Hutz says she

wonders if the family didn’t tell her about the Ramadan fasting because they worried Hutz would forbid the mother from partaking in the religious observance that requires Muslims to abstain

from food and drink from sunrise to sunset. Hutz emphasizes the doctor-patient relationship is no longer a paternalistic one like in previous decades. She would have started a conversation

in which she would have given recommendations for fasting during Ramadan while avoiding the health issues she had been experiencing. Ultimately, Hutz says, “if you have a health care

provider that does not speak your language, that has a different ethnic background than yourself, or religious background, that communication is key. Because you do have to advocate for

yourself or have the family advocate on your behalf because sometimes, a health care provider is very willing to learn but may not understand exactly what you're going through if

they're of a different faith or a different culture.” USE LANGUAGE RESOURCES As the person in charge of her mother-in-law’s medical care, Hina Patel accompanies Shantaben J. Patel to

all her appointments. Dr. Hina Patel and her mother-in-law Shantaben J. Patel Courtesy of Dr. Hina Patel Because both Hina and Shantaben speak Gujarati, with Shantaben speaking very little

English, Hina acts as a translator during the visits. Hina says she’s critical to smoothing language obstacles and medical understanding for her mother-in-law. “Because of the language

barrier, I’m overseeing everything she needs care for,” Hina says of Shantaben, who’s 89 and deals with dementia and mobility issues. “I’m kind of a bridge between her and medical care.”

However, if the trusted go-between is not as familiar with certain terminology, physicians want patients and families to know there are other options so that health care-related information

is clearly understood. “I definitely want all patients to know that it is their right to have someone [medically] translate for them,” Hutz says. Hutz has experienced complicated situations,

like when she has Rohingya patients from Myanmar, and “it’s extremely difficult to get a translator, so sometimes they're waiting, and it can be a pain on our end. But I cannot

successfully give advice and treat a patient if I can't understand what their medical problem is.”