This document discusses how to move toward more culturally competent care. It defines culture and cultural competence. To achieve cultural competence, one must value diversity, acknowledge different ways of communicating and behaving across cultures, and have an understanding and tolerance of other cultures. The document then provides demographic statistics on the growing racial and ethnic diversity of the older American population, including the rates of chronic conditions reported among African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, and Native Americans. It emphasizes that the aging population is becoming more racially and ethnically diverse.