Review

ABSTRACT

Cultural factors influence the aging process, shaping perceptions of aging, social support structures, intergenerational relationships, health behaviors, and overall well-being. Most older people from ethnic minorities face inequalities in access to healthcare services, resulting in adverse health outcomes and reduced quality of life. An ethnogerontological perspective on the healthcare of the elderly offers important insights for the development of integrated care models and a holistic approach to aging communities.  The purpose of the study is to present the basic principles of ethnogerontology as well as the current trajectory of research in ethnogerontological nursing. Ethnogerontology explores the interactions between aging, ethnic communities, and culture, revealing different perspectives, traditions, and challenges faced by older people from different cultural communities. The study of nursing has a substantial knowledge base to contribute to the intersection of aging, ethnicity, and health, yet only a few ethnogerontological nursing studies are available. Most literature focuses on individual ethnocultural communities with little attention paid to discussing observations that transcend  cultural specificities and which could be unified into a coherent cross-cultural theory of elderly nursing care. Ethnogerontology recognizes the relationship between cultural diversity and the experiences of older people. Ethnogerontological nursing studies can provide important data on aging in culturally diverse communities, shaping a holistic and culturally sensitive nursing care for the elderly.

Keywords: ethnogerontological nursing, cross-cultural elderly nursing, ethnocultural gerontological nursing