CUA Columbus School of Law

Protocol and etiquette consultant Nancy Mitchell emphasized that
good listening skills are valued across all cultures and populations.

Trans-Cultural Understanding to Protect the Elderly

June 6 – Approximately 75 lawyers and social workers who work with the abused elderly gathered for a day-long conference held at The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law that was designed to help caregivers develop sensitivity toward culturally diverse populations.

“Multi-Cultural Perspectives on Aging, Abuse, and Culturally Sensitive Intervention” was sponsored by the D.C. Office on Aging Adult Abuse Prevention Committee and the Institute for Geriatric Social Work, in conjunction with the law school and the National Catholic School of Social Service, the Family and Child Services of Washington, D.C., and D.C. Adult Protective Services.

A main goal of the conference was to teach social service providers how to approach and engage culturally diverse populations in a social service relationship without causing offense or fear, off-putting reactions that may prompt families to shun outsiders and thus place their elderly members at risk.

Participants heard experts discuss the cultural major barriers to the effective delivery of government and social services to the aged. They included language skills, both verbal and body; an understanding that different cultures may define social work values, ethics, and best practices differently; a sensitivity to immigration status anxieties and other issues.

The very first meeting between a social service provider and a recipient from a different culture can set the tone for the future, said Nancy Mitchell, an established protocol and etiquette consultant and adviser with more than 25 years of experience in the field. She spent the first hour of the conference stressing the importance of eye contact, a sincere handshake and especially, an open mind and focused listening skills.

“First impressions are made on good meet-and-greet skills,” Mitchell instructed.

Other discussants, such as Lisa Martin, who teaches a weekly seminar in CUA’s Families and the Law Clinic, discussed the implications of legal status for the receipt of public benefits and services.

Assistant Clinical Professor Faith Mullen, who supervises students in the law school’s general practice clinic, was among the four organizers of the conference, along with Dr. Barbara Soniat, a faculty member in Catholic University’s School of Social Service.

The push to develop improved interviewing, assessment, intervention and advocacy skills for working with culturally diverse client populations is a necessary one. Studies have shown that abuse, neglect and exploitation of the elderly are found in a broad range of national and ethnic population groups.