During physical therapy, an older patient needs to climb stairs. as the medical assistant, you will be using a gait belt for their safety. discuss how you would approach the patient to explain the use of this belt, and what considerations you would want to give to their age, ethnicity, or culture?

So this is what I would do.

Before doing the exercise. Explain what the older patient will be doing to help with physical therapy. Explain what activities they will be doing, how they will be doing it, what the equipment that will be used does, and how this helps them.

Right before the exercise begins brief up again what the gait belt will do to keep them safe. And how they will perform this exercise.

While they are performing the exercise. Try it with them and keep talking to them to motivate them. Instead of not talking to them and have them do it by themselves.

Also, I would not bring up their ethnicity or culture. This has nothing to do with physical therapy. 

Communication. releasing emotions/feelings to someone you know you can count on. ; ) someone who may not understand but willing to listen.