In-Home Indian Speaking Caregivers for Canada’s Seniors

Demand for Indian Speaking Caregivers in Home Care

The demand for Indian speaking caregivers in Canada is on the rise. India is the second most populated Asian country following China and migration to Canada is at an all-time high. Canada is considered one of the best places in the world for Indians to live. Large urban Canadian cities like Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary and Ottawa which already have large, thriving communities are seeing unprecedented growth in immigrant populations from India along with a demand for private in-home care by Indian Canadian families.

As traditional Indians consider caring for elderly parents a mandatory cultural requirement that is a blessing from God that builds good karma, the demand for Indian speaking caregivers in Canada will continue to grow for years to come.

The ideal Indian speaking caregiver believes in the accumulation of good karma for themselves if they honor and care for their elderly parents. Indian speaking caregivers speak the Indian elder’s preferred Indian language, are a good cultural fit for the Indian elder being cared for, able to connect emotionally with family members, and have the skills needed to assist with light housework, meal preparation, dressing, bathing, medication administration, and other household tasks. Skilled Indian speaking caregivers new to Canada should have little problems obtaining sponsorship from traditional Indian Canadian families to support their application for permanent Canadian residency.

Cultural Competence of Indian Speaking Caregivers

Cultural competence of Indian speaking home care workers is essential to providing quality care and support to Indian elderly and their families. Non-verbal communication in India has its nuances and meanings can get lost when the caregiver is from a different cultural background. Culture-sensitive caregivers speaking the Indian elder’s language are more likely to understand the nuances of gestures and facial expressions used within Indian culture and the true underlying message that is being conveyed. Caregivers are expected to honor traditional Indian customs and food practices and work closely with family members to plan and schedule care that is individualized to the needs of the Indian elder, and coordinate in-home family activities and essential household tasks. Food is culturally important because the type of food eaten is affiliated with class status, kinship, tribal lineage, religiosity and ethnicity. How one eats, what one eats, with whom, when, and why, is key to understanding an Indian elder’s history. Although families are relatively egalitarian with respect to gender roles, Indian men are still expected to assume the traditional responsibility for caring for elderly parents and Indian women are still expected to take on traditional roles of caring for children and managing household affairs. Filial piety is also a significant part of most Indian cultures and caregivers are expected to show respect and find creative ways to honor the wishes of an Indian elder who may have age-related cognitive challenges. Family integrity, family loyalty, and family unity is a top priority so caregiver personality compatibility with senior loved ones is very important. Therefore, in-home caregivers are expected to foster a welcoming home environment for families and friends to come together to socialize. It is customary for Indians to greet family members and relatives, friends and long-time acquaintances with a hug or a kiss on the forehead. Socialization with Indian elders is very important as Indian elders are highly esteemed, have strong and harmonious intergenerational bonds with family members and enjoy having quality time with all relatives whether they are siblings, cousins, grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

Language Skills of Indian Speaking Caregivers

Indian family prefer Indian speaking caregivers as their elderly loved one may not be fluent in English. Hiring a caregiver with the required language skills eliminates language communication gaps allowing for more relaxed and meaningful conversations with Indian elder. Elderly family members who have reverted to speaking in their native Indian tongue or forgotten how to speak English will no longer have to struggle to express themselves to communicate their needs, get stressed from trying to understand their caregiver’s instructions or feel alienated and helpless because of a communication barrier. Language can help to build empathy between a caregiver and elderly clients. Empathy fosters trust and can play a role in improving client health outcomes. Using empathy, caregivers will be better able to direct elderly clients with cognitive issues when they need personal care, assistance with medications, or in need of psychological or emotional support.

In Canada, Hindi and Punjabi are the most spoken of Indian languages. Other languages from India are Tamil, Gujarati, Urdu, Bengali, Malayalam, Telugu, Marathi and Sinhalese.

Punjabi is spoken by people from Punjab State and Chandigarh in Northern India and the Islamabad Capital Territory in Pakistan. Hindi, India’s most spoken language is spoken by Canadian immigrants from Northern and Central India. Tamil is a language associated with people from Nadu in Southern India or Northern Sri Lanka. Gujarati is spoken by people from the Indian state of Gujarat and by Gujarati Hindus and Ismaili Muslims from the African Great Lakes and from West India. Urdu is primarily spoken by Indian Muslims from Northern India and Pakistan and from Indian diaspora in Africa and the Caribbean. Kannada is spoken by people from the Indian state of Karnataka in Southern India. Bengali is spoken by people from the Indian state of West Bengal in Eastern India, and from Bangladesh. Malayalam language speakers come from the state of Kerala in Southern India. Konkani is spoken only by a few Goans from the African Great Lakes. Marathi is spoken by people who have roots in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Telugu is spoken by people from the Indian states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

Cultural Perspectives of Indians in Canada

Punjabi speaking Indians have lived in Canada since the late 19th century. During that time, Canada and India were part of the British empire. Punjabi Hindus and Muslims who were veterans of the British army and Punjabi Sikhs who were primarily farmers settled on Canada’s west coast in British Columbia. New waves of Punjabi speaking Indian immigrants have been arriving since the 1900’s settling initially in Vancouver, New Westminster and Abbotsford and later moving to other parts of British Columbia to operate farms and sawmills . The settlement pattern in the most recent two decades has focused on Vancouver and Toronto, but other cities such as Calgary, Edmonton, and Montreal are now desirable cities to live due to growing economic opportunities in these cities. The majority of new immigrants from India continue to come from Punjab, but an increasing proportion now come from Haryana, Delhi, Mumbai, Gujarat, and Southern India. Indian Canadians have overcome significant legal challenges and racism throughout their migration journey to Canada. They now have careers in politics, information technology, health care and business and India is the top source country for international students in Canada.

Today, Indian Canadians are more diverse with regard to religion and follow Sikhism, Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Eastern religions, Buddhism, Jainism, and more. Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians dominate. Hindus view home care as an extension of their value of Ahimsa which is nonviolence towards all living beings. This translates into compassionate care for elderly relatives and can create a supportive home environment that encourages them to live healthy and meaningful lives. Muslims view elder care as a very important responsibility and believe that honoring parents throughout their lives is one of the highest forms of worship setting care expectations for elderly to be respected and cared for with dignity and kindness. For Sikhs, caring for elders is an honor bestowed by God on families who show respect and reverence to those who have come before them. This respect is extended not only to family members but also to other elders in their community needing assistance with daily activities or medical needs. Christians value the importance of caring for elderly loved ones as well as being there to provide comfort in difficult times selflessly without expecting anything in return.

Other Desirable Skills for Indian Speaking Caregivers

Indian speaking caregivers provide a vital service for Indian Canadian families caring for their elderly at home. Supporting elders and families in the family home allows them to feel secure, receive personalized care tailored to their physical, emotional and social needs, stay connected with family and their cultural heritage and remain independent for as long as possible.

In addition to spoken Indian language skill in the elder’s preferred dialect(s), a cheerful disposition, welcoming personality, emotional sensitivity, the ability to engage an elderly person in conversation, and self-awareness of non-verbal behaviour are good additional skills to have to establish rapport and gain an elderly person’s trust.

Indian Friendly Care Plan Considerations

Indian seniors in Canada are commonly diagnosed with heart disease, circulatory disorders, diabetes, arthritis and cancers. In addition to assisting with personal care routines, in-home care planning for Indian elders should focus on lifestyle management, consider dietary restrictions, address the Indian elder’s communication, social, and spiritual care needs. Care plans should list grooming, toileting, and bathing routines, the scope of housekeeping responsibilities and what is needed to keep the Indian elder safe at home if they have a medical condition or mobility issues, if they use specific Indian ayurvedic remedies for various ailments, dates of scheduled medical appointments, scheduled times for medication administration, favorite shops for traditional Indian groceries such as lentils, authentic Indian herbs and masala spices to make nutritious Indian meals, favorite restaurant for lunch outings, food likes and dislikes, dates for family gatherings, and specific religious ceremonies, prayer rituals, local temples or shrines the Indian elder likes to visit. In-home activities listed for Indian elders might include traditional board games, storytelling, singing, and participating in spiritual rituals.

Finding Employment as an Indian Speaking Home Care Provider

Asian Caregivers is a values-focused company that was established with a mission to connect a caring community of Asian language caregivers with clients seeking at home care for themselves or loved ones. Asian Caregivers envisions its online platform www.asiancaregivers.ca will become the virtual meeting place of choice where sincere, reliable, trustworthy culture-sensitive caregivers can promote themselves and provide the best care to the elderly who have embraced the choice to live at home.

Asian Caregivers understands how important it is to pair Indian speaking in-home workers with compatible Indian clients. To find a job as an Indian Speaking home care worker, personal support worker, or housekeeper join the Asian Caregivers online community. Please visit the Asian Caregivers platform and register for free now! https://www.asiancaregivers.ca/register_caregivers?caregivers/1