25th May 2018
Belfast Trust launched its black and minority ethnic (BME) communities’ older people’s report in Belfast City Hall on Wednesday.
The comprehensive report entitled Black and Minority Ethnic Communities: The Health and Wellbeing of Older People in Belfast highlights the specific health needs of older people from BME communities and the barriers they can face when accessing Health and Social Care.
Key Speakers on the day were Bryan Nelson, Co-Director of Public Health, and Jennifer Thompson, Director of Planning Performance and Informatics.
Almost one third of the BME older people who completed the survey that informed the report said they feel they have been treated differently because of race, religion or ethnicity.
They believed attitudes were different towards them and they reported rudeness including ‘eye-rolling’. In addition, they felt they are not listened to and are treated as if they are stupid.
The most frequently identified barriers to accessing healthcare were identified as:
- Language – 35%
- Lack of information – 33.5%
- Staff attitudes – 13%
- Lack of self-confidence – 10.5%
- Lack of confidence in the service – 7.5%
The main recommendation of the report is the introduction of cultural competence training for health and wellbeing professionals (including Belfast Trust staff), day centres, nursing homes and other stakeholders.