OHCA The Oregon Caregiver Fall Winter 2020

The Oregon Caregiver FALL/WINTER 2020 www.ohca.com 14 WHAT IS “DEI” AND WHY DOES IT MATTER? Two key developments during the past several months of social upheaval—the COVID-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement—have led senior living associations and providers to make statements acknowledging longstanding racial inequities and the need for change. To that end, leading organizations are taking steps to educate themselves and determine how best to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion. Diversity issues have been featured topics at conferences and publications for many years. Operationally, the topic typically comes up in response to evolving nondiscrimination policies for hiring and admission practices. Changing expectations about person-centered care have also reshaped policies and practices to ensure residents receive services that are more culturally appropriate and individualized. Nevertheless, the lack of gender, racial, and ethnic diversity among C-suite and other leadership positions challenges us to address barriers for creating a more inclusive and equitable culture within long term care. Why Does Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Matter? As a first-generation Cuban American, I was privileged to grow up in a city where this segment of the Hispanic community represented a majority of the population, while benefiting from unique social, economic, and political advantages compared to other Hispanic groups. My first job after college involved helping open a very large, family-run assisted living facility in the Little Havana neighborhood, serving primarily low- income Hispanic residents, including my grandmother. Back in 1990, “assisted living” was a new concept that we adopted loosely from Oregon. Despite our offer of private bedrooms and subsidized care, initial expectations for a rapid lease-up failed to consider the culturally-rooted stigma associated with avoiding in-home family caregiving responsibilities. Although the project was not designed exclusively for Hispanic older adults, we were unable to successfully recruit and retain non-Hispanic White residents who often felt unwelcome in a predominantly Hispanic community. Despite our best efforts to hire bilingual staff and provide a diverse range of food and programming options, we struggled to make the non-Hispanic segment of our resident population, as well as some staff, feel welcome and included. Among other lessons I’ve learned since this first project is how many segments of our older population continue to face barriers accessing quality long term services and supports. Addressing those barriers first requires a shared under- standing of the problem, particularly among profession leaders and policy- makers. It also requires taking steps to address the top down racial imbalance that becomes apparent when comparing the racial profiles of senior leaders and hourly employees. As one observer noted, “...unless a service sector can find real solutions to address this issue, boomers— especially older adults who identify as LGBTQ and people of color—may opt to age at home, in neighborhoods where they feel more welcome.” The racial composition of America is changing, which represents both a challenge and an opportunity for providers. During the next four decades, the U.S. population is projected to become “majority-minority” with Hispanics of all ages representing the largest and fastest growing segment of the racial/ethnic minority population. Valuing and Defining DEI At OHCA’s 2020 Annual Convention, keynote speaker, Lou Raja, described these terms as follows: Diversity is about representation—who is in the room and who’s not in the room… [T]he world is becoming increasingly more diverse. How do we make sure we reflect the community that we serve and that we’re also leveraging the opportunities that come with diversity? Equity is nothing more than guaranteed fairness that everyone has the same access, the same opportunities to thrive, the same opportunity to grow, the same opportunity to advance, and the same opportunity to live their fullest potential and their truest expression. Inclusion is about making sure the people in your community know they are welcome and they belong. Retention is about creating an inclusive culture so that people are engaged and feel like they belong. What Is “DEI” and Why Does It Matter for Senior Living Providers and OHCA? By Mauro Hernandez, PhD, Hearth & Truss