This site needs a newer browser to work properly.

Give Google Chrome or Firefox a go — both are free and work great.

Get Chrome Get Firefox

Start Creating

Join 15,000+ activity coordinators worldwide

Everything you need to delight your residents

Unlimited Activities
Create, edit, and save forever
Printable Calendars
Beautiful monthly programs
AI Content Generation
Generate games in seconds
Interactive Games
Play on screen or print

10 Ways to Embrace Cultural Diversity in Your Workplace

10 Ways to Embrace Cultural Diversity in Your Workplace
10 44

In today's world, with an ever-expanding demographic of residents entering long term care homes, it is critical to develop strategies that promote diversity and inclusion.

Embracing cultural diversity means appreciating the differences in individuals from a variety of cultural and ethnic groups within an organization. Inclusion refers to the right of those groups to participate and have equity in all aspects of life.

In this article we cover:

  • What is Cultural Competence?
  • Why Cultural Competence is Important
  • How to Create a Culture of Inclusion
  • 10 Tips for Embracing Cultural Diversity in Your Workplace
Members-Only

10 Ways to Embrace Cultural Diversity in Your Workplace

Available with Full Membership. Unlock to access:

12 months of unlimited access - no recurring monthly fees
Thousands of ready-to-use activities - updated every week
Custom activity calendars and planning tools
Editable templates
Active professional member forum

Full Membership - $74.95 USD per year

No auto-renewals · 30-day money-back guarantee

Comments
10
Log In to comment
Helen avatar

Hi I’m an activity lady for a care home after some advice for what activities I can do for colouring or make for showing cultural ideas in a box . Recently heard of culture boxes but not sure what activities are involved or what I can colour etc . Thx

Susan avatar

Hi Helen

According to Google

You can put a variety of different things in your culture box, anything that shows who you are. For example: Pictures of friends, family, traditions, celebrations, etc. Things that are important to you like a CD album case, your favorite movie, or necklace your Grandmother gave you.

So it sounds to me like you can do whatever interests the Clients

Here are some coloring activities on golden carers

https://www.goldencarers.com/the-benefits-of-coloring-in-for-the-elderly/4244/

Danielle  avatar
Danielle Therapeutic Activities Director

As a nursing home outside of Boston, Massachusetts, we have a VERY diverse population of staff from all over the world, especially Africa, Central America, and South America. Every year on Nursing Home Week we do special programs for the staff, and we always have an international lunch and dinner just for the staff that features food from the countries they are from. And we encourage staff to dress in "native clothing" and we play cultural music and decorate the room with all the flags of the countries that are represented in our staff (which are many!). The staff LOVE this event every year!

In activities on a smaller scale, I have had a cultural appreciation group, which is a multi sensory travel group where we explore a country like Haiti for example, where many of our staff are from...I print out pictures, play Youtube travel clips to that location, play music, bring food if I can...and I try to do it on an hour when I have nursing assistants helping who are from the same country. It was really special...and its nice to have the other staff involved in activities and enjoying it.

Solange avatar

Hi Danielle, congratulations! This is what cultural competence is all about. Well done!

Susan avatar

Hi Danielle

I worked as an activity director for many years in a facility north of Boston

We had a lunch similar to what you described during

Nursing home week

The other ideas you have a very good and it’s always good if you can get the CNA’s involved in the activities

Thank you for sharing

It sounds like you are doing a great job

Carol avatar

As a volunteer I am on my own to create my own craft/ activity agenda and I have been planing to include a different country/ culture at least once a month using some of the information off your site. I have already used a few ideas with good response. I love the artist feature and have printed off some of the pictures for clients for color or paint and we talk about the artist. Never too old to learn something new. Thanks for the motivation to get going on my monthly plan.

Talita avatar

Thanks so much for your feedback Carol. Your clients are so lucky to have you x

Susan avatar

One good way to celebrate diversity is to celebrate international we are family day this can bring everyone in your facility together.

Another challenge is when some residents especially those with dementia show some prejudice which can be hurtful to the staff

It is a good idea to talk about kindness with your residents even though world kindness day is in November

Here are some ideas

https://www.goldencarers.com/world-kindness-day-ideas/3850/

Despite everyone's best effort's some residents can display hurtfulness

Owen avatar

Very interesting comments here. We had a Maori resident at The Redwood Club who said the grace before our midday meal always in the Maori language. He later left for care where he died and I took over his small contribution but not in Maori as I do not speak the language. However for Maori Language Week I researched a grace in Maori, printed off copies for all the residents and staff, reciting as best I could as a tribute to our own cultural heritage as well as competence. We could do this for other cultures among our residents as we have a Samoan, Pitcairn Islander, Dutch, Chinese, and two other Pacific Islanders in our small gathering. Let us do more for "Treating others the way they want to be treated" should be our guiding rule.

Talita avatar

Thanks for your feedback Owen. I love this gesture, what a simple and wonderful way to embrace your cultural heritage. You're right, this could be done for any number of cultures represented at a facility.

150 Describing Words to Use in Care Plans

11

16 Local History Activity Ideas to Engage Seniors

4

20 April Fools' Day Calendar Surprises

4

Ready to plan, create and collaborate with confidence?

Join thousands of activity professionals worldwide.