Why Diversity and Inclusion Matter in Home Care

Diversity and Inclusion and Ethnicity can become a topic of conversation with your clients and in order to protect your agency, your caregiving staff, and sometimes even your clients, when this topic comes up it needs to be addressed head on.

Discrimination Is Not Acceptable—Period

If a client discriminates against you or your staff based on ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation, religion, or appearance, you do not have to serve them. Other agencies may tolerate it, but you have every right to say, "We don’t work with prejudice, and this isn’t going to work for us." Your responsibility is to protect your staff and ensure they aren’t placed in an uncomfortable or unsafe situation. It’s 2023—discrimination has no place in home care.

When Exceptions Apply

The only time you might make an exception is with a client who has dementia. If a family mentions that their loved one has started making inappropriate comments due to cognitive decline, take the time to understand the situation. A simple phrase like, "We match caregivers based on skill, availability, and personality—regardless of race or background. Is that okay with you?" can help gauge where they stand. If the client has always been prejudiced, you’re under no obligation to accommodate them. But if their behavior stems from dementia, you’ll need to determine if your staff can handle the case comfortably. If you can’t staff it appropriately, it’s okay to walk away.

Spot the Red Flags

When discussing caregiver preferences, listen carefully. A client might say they prefer someone “outgoing” or “quiet,” which is fine. But if they specify ethnicity, gender, or other inappropriate factors, that’s a red flag. Don’t ignore it. Placing a caregiver in a hostile environment—where they might face verbal abuse, insults, or discomfort—isn’t worth the risk. Protect your team and your agency from potential backlash or legal trouble.

Other Inappropriate Behavior

Dementia-related behaviors aren’t just about prejudice. Clients may also act in sexually inappropriate ways. While some behaviors can be managed with training, no caregiver should ever feel unsafe or disrespected. If a client crosses the line, the situation needs to be addressed.

Trust Your Instincts

Families may downplay past incidents by saying, "It only happened once." But if every time you send an ethnic caregiver the client complains or an "incident" occurs, that’s a pattern. Address red flags early rather than dealing with bigger problems later.

Diversity and inclusion matter. You’re here to provide care for everyone—but not at the cost of your staff’s dignity and safety.

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I hope that this is helpful for you and also hope that this enables you to have that tough conversation if you have to. But I also hope you never have to!

Please reach out if you have any questions. candyce@slusherconsulting.com

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Diversity in Home Care