Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

LATIN@ ELDERS: Securing Healthy Aging Inspite of Health and Mental Health Disparities

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
The Collective Spirit of Aging Across Cultures

Part of the book series: International Perspectives on Aging ((Int. Perspect. Aging,volume 9))

Abstract

The elder population is the fastest growing subgroup of the U.S. This demographic reality has been referred as the “graying of America” and is the result of improved and longer life expectancy of elders because of the medical advances, technology, lifestyle choices and the “baby boomer” generation. The “graying of America” is also ethnically and racially diverse, and Latin@s are the fastest growing segment of the elder population. This chapter discusses the diversity among Latin@ elders and addresses their perceptions of aging and well-being given their diverse realities and existing health and mental health disparities. Using a social justice frame, the authors examine Latin@ health and mental health disparities and the intersectionality of particular social determinants of health: acculturation and health status, chronic illness and the Hispanic mortality paradox, poverty, adjustment to daily living and health literacy. In spite of health disparities that result from structural inequalities, the authors emphasize three positive influences that affect healthy aging by Latin@ elders: (1) family relationships, (2) social support networks, and (3) health/mental health service delivery system within a community context. The authors illustrate community programs as best practice models that include cultural competence and interprofessional collaborations that challenge the structural inequities to reduce health and mental health disparities within the Latin@ elderly population.

Latin@s is used in this chapter. The @ sign is the deference to the quite recent determination to develop and use nonsexist language and to identify with Latin America (Wallerstein 2005).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abraido-Lanza, A. F., Dohrenwen, B. P., Ng-Mak, D. S., & Turner, J. B. (1999). The Latino mortality paradox: A test of the “salmon bias” and health migrant hypotheses. American Journal of Public Health, 89(10), 1543–1548.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Administration on Aging. (2010, January). A statistical profile of Hispanic older Americans aged 65. Retrieved from www.aoa.gov/AoAroot/Aging_Statistics/minority_aging/Facts-on-Hispanic-Elderly-2008.aspx

  • Administration on Aging. (2012, February 10). A profile of older Americans: 2011. Retrieved from http://www.aoa.gov/Aging_Statistics/Profile/2011/10.aspx

  • Angel, J., Kahlert, R., & Whitfield, K. (2005, September). Hispanic and Mexican American health and aging in a new century, an overview. Key issues in Hispanic health and health care policy research, Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs. The University of Texas at Austin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Angel, J. L., & Tienda, M. (1987). Determinants of extended household structure: Cultural pattern or economic need?. American Journal of Sociology, 87, 1360–1383.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aranda, M. P., & Knight, B. G. (1997). The influences of ethnicity and culture on the caregiver stress and coping process: A sociocultural review and analysis. The Gerontologist, 37, 342–354.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Areán, P., Ayalon, L., Hunkeler, E., Lin, E., Tang, L., Harpole, L., et al. (2005). Improving depression care for older minority patients in primary care. Medical Care, 43(4), 381–390.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Association of Hispanic Mental Health Professionals. (2013). Our accomplishments. Retrieved on July 19, 2013 from http://www.ahmhp.org/accomplishments/index.php

  • Barusch, A. S. (2009). Foundations of social policy: Social justice in human perspective (4th ed.). Connecticut: Wadsworth Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beyene, Y., Becker, G., & Mayen, N. (2002). Perception of aging and sense of well-being among Latino elderly. Journal of Cross-Cultural gerontology, 17, 155–172.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Born, W., Gerniner, K. A., Sylvia, E., Butler, J., & Ahluwalia, J. S. (2004). Knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about end-of-life care among inner-city African Americans and Latinos. Journal of Pallatiative Medicine, 7, 247–256.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2012, October 11). Hispanic or Latino populations. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/minorityhealth/populations/REMP/hispanic.html

  • Chavez-Korell, S., Delgado-Rendón, A., Beer, J., Rodríguez, N., Garr, A. D., Pine, C. A., et al. (2012). Improving access and reducing barriers to depression treatment for Latino elders: Un Nuevo Amanecer (a new dawn). Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 43(3), 217–226.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, G. D. (2005). The mature mind: The positive power of the aging brain. New York: Basic Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Collins, K. S., Hughes, D. L., Doty, M. M., Ives, B. L., Edwards, J. N., & Tenney, K. (2002). Diverse communities, common concerns: Assessing health care quality for minority americans (pp. 1–68). New York: The Commonwealth Fund.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coonrod, D., Bay, C., & Balcazar, H. (2004). Ethnicity, acculturation and obstetric outcomes: Different risk factor profiles in low-and high acculturation Hispanics and in White Non-Hispanics. Journal of Reproductive Medicine, 49(1), 17–22.

    Google Scholar 

  • Day, L. (2010). Health care reform, health. and social justice. American Journal of Critical Care, 19(5), 459–461. doi:10.4037/ajcc2010742.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Delgado, M. (1998). Puerto Rican elders and merchant establishments: Natural caregiving systems or simply businesses? In M. Delgado (Ed.), Latino elders and the twenty-first century: Issues and challenges for culturally competent research and practice (pp. 33–46). New York: The Haworth Press Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Department of Health and Human Services. (2007). Improving Hispanic elders’ health: Community partnerships for evidence-based solutions: Project overview. Retrieved on April 30, 20113 from http://www.academyhealth.org/ahrq/elders/overview.pdf

  • DiClemente, R. J., Crosby, R. A., & Kegler, M. C. (Eds.). (2002). Emerging theories in health promotion practice and research: Strategies for improving public health. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, John Wiley & Sons.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dilworth-Anderson, P., Pierre, G., & Hilliard, T. (2012). Social justice, health disparities, and culture in the care of the elderly. Journal of Law, Medicine, & Ethics, 40, 26–31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Donelly, J. W., Eburne, M., & Kittleson, M. (2001). Mental health: Dimensions of self-esteem and emotional well-being. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Falcon, L. M., & Tucker, K. L. (2000). Prevalence and correlates of depressive symptoms among Hispanic elders in Massachusetts. Journal of Gerontology: Psychosocial and Social Sciences, 55(2), S108–S116.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Falcon, L. M., Todorova, I., & Tucker, K. (2009). Social support, life events and psychological distress among the Puerto Rican population in the Boston area of the United States. Aging and Mental Health, 13(6), 863–873.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fennell, M. L., Feng, Z., Clark, M. A., & Mor, V. (2010). Elderly Hispanics more likely to reside in poor-quality nursing homes. Health Affairs, 29(1), 65–73. doi:10.1377/hithaff. 2009.0003.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Forster, L., & Stoller, E. P. (1992). The impact of social support on mortality: A seven-year follow-up of older men and women. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 2(2), 173–186.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Franzini, L., Ribble, J. C., & Keddie, A. M. (2002). Understanding the Hispanic paradox. In T. A. Laveist (Ed.), Race, ethnicity, and health: A public health reader (pp. 280–310). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gallagher-Thompson, D., Coon, D., Solano, N., Ambler, C., Rabinowitz, Y., & Thompson, L. (2003). Change in indices of distress among Latino and Anglo female caregivers of elderly relatives with dementia: Site-specific results from the REACH national collaborative study. The Gerontologist, 43(4), 580–591.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gallagher-Thompson, D., Gray, H., Dupart, T., Jimenez, D., & Thompson, L. (2008). Effectiveness of cognitive/behavioral small group intervention for reduction of depression and stress in Non Hispanic White and Hispanic/Latino women dementia family caregivers: Outcomes and mediators of change. Journal of Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, 26(4), 286–303.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Geriatric Mental Health Alliance of New York. (July, 2012). Geriatric mental health news. Retrieved on June 13 from http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs073/1101456716765/archive/1110464920159.html#LETTER.BLOCK7

  • Global Policy Solutions LLC. (February, 2011). The Latino age wave: What changing ethnic demographics mean for the future of aging in the United States. Report by Hispanics in Philanthropy (HIP). Retrieved on May 1, 2013 from http://www.hiponline.org/storage/documents/HIP_LatinoAgeWave_FullReport_Web.pdf.

  • Gonzalez, H. M., Haan, M. N., & Hinton, L. (2001). Acculturation and the prevalence of depression in older Mexican Americans: Baseline results of the Sacramento area Latino study on aging. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 49(7), 948–953.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hazuda, H. P., & Espino, D. V. (1997). Aging, chronic disease, and physical disability in hispanic elderly. In K. S. Markides & M. R. Miranda (Eds.), Minorities, aging, and health (pp. 127–148). Thousand Oaks: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heisler, M., et al. (2007). Mechanisms for racial and ethnic disparities in Glycemic control in middle-aged and older Americans in the health and retirement study. Archives of Internal Medicine, 167(17), 1853–1860.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heyman, J. C., & Gutheil, I. A. (2010). Older Latino’s attitude toward and comfort with end-of-life planning. Health and Social Work, 35(1), 17–26.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hispanic Health Council. (2006). A profile on Latino Health in Connecticut: The case for change in policy & practice. Retrieved May 1, 2013, from http://www.hartfordinfo.org/issues/wsd/health/Profile_Latino_Health.pdf

  • Iatridis, D. S. (1994). Social policy: Institutional context of social development and human services. Pacific Grove: Brooks/Cole Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Institute for Puerto Rican/Hispanic Elderly. (2013). Retrieved July 19, 2013 from http://www.iprhe.org/

  • Crist, J. D., McEwen, M. M., Herrera, A. P., Kim, S. S., Pasvogel, A., & Hepworth, J. T. (2009). Caregiving burden, acculturation, familism, and Mexican American elders’ use of home care services. Research and Theory for Nursing Practice: An International Journal, 23(3), 165–180.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim, G., Jang, Y., Chiriboga, D. A., Ma, G. X., & Schonfeld, L. (2009). Factors associated with mental health services use in Latino and Asian immigrant elders. Aging & Mental Health, 14(5), 535–542. doi:10.1080/13607860903311758.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krakauer, E. L., Crenner, C., & Fox, K. (2002). Barriers to optimum end of life care for minority patients. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 50, 182–190.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Latino Geriatric Mental Health Workgroup of New York City. (2007). Meeting the mental health needs of Latino elders. Network of Care of Behavioral Health Online Newsletter. Retrieved on A pril 29, 2013 from http://losangeles.networkofcare.org/mh/library/article.aspx?id=2587&cat=42

  • LaVeist, T. A. (2005). Minority populations and health an introduction to health disparities in the United states (1st ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marmot, M. G., Adelstein, A. M., & Bulusu, L. (1984). Lessons from the study of immigrant mortality. Lancet, 2, 1455–1457.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Medina, C. (2011). Creating the Latino agenda for eliminating health disparities in communities: A call to action. In J. H. Schiele (Ed.), Social welfare policy: Regulation and resistance among people of color (pp. 271–291). Thousand Oaks: Sage.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Migrant Health Promotion. (2013). Retrieved July 19, 2013, from http://www.migranthealth.org/

  • Miltiades, H. B., Grove, S. A., & Drenovsky, C. (2010). Understanding the impact of senior community center participation on elders’ health and well-being. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania—Department of Aging. Latino Center on Aging (nd). Mission. Retrieved on April 25, 2013 from http://www.gerolatino.org/english/5552/5615.html

  • Min, J. W., & Barrio, C. (2009). Cultural values and caregiver preference for Mexican-American and Non-Latin@ White elders. Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology, 24, 225–239.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moody, H. R. (1998). Aging: Concepts and controversies. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications Incorporated.

    Google Scholar 

  • Motel, S., & Patten, E. (2013). Statistical portrait of Hispanics in the United States, 2011. Pew Hispanic Center, Washington, DC. Retrieved on April 12, 2013 from http://www.pewhispanic.org/2013/02/15/statistical-portrait-of-hispanics-in-the-united-states-2011/

  • Napoles-Springer, A. M., Santoyo, J., Houston, K., Perez-Stable, E. J., & Steward, A. L. (2005). Patients’ perceptions of cultural factors affecting the quality of their medical encounters. Health Expectations, 8(1), 4–17.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • National Institutes of Health. (2000). NIH strategic research plan to reduce and ultimately eliminate health disparities.

    Google Scholar 

  • Negroni, L. K. (2007). [Latin@s stories of growing older in the United States]. Unpublished focus group data. Puerto Rican and Latin@ Studies Project, University of Connecticut School of Social Work.

    Google Scholar 

  • Negroni, L. K. (2012). The Puerto Rican family. In R. Wright, C. H. Mindel, R. W. Habenstein, & T. V. Tran (Eds.), Ethnic families in America: Patterns and variations (5th ed., pp. 129–147). New York: Pearson Education Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Negroni-Rodríguez, L. K., & Bok, M. (2004). Understanding the impact of natural support networks on the physical and mental health of Latina elderly and the utilization and satisfaction with services. Unpublished findings report, Puerto Rican and Latin@ Studies Project, University of Connecticut School of Social Work.

    Google Scholar 

  • Negroni-Rodríguez, L. K., & Morales, J. (2001). Individual and family assessment skills with Latino/Hispanic. In R. Fong & S. Furuto (Eds.), Culturally competent practice: Skills, interventions and evaluations (pp. 132–146). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nussbaum, M. C. (2006). Frontiers of justice: Disability, nationality, species membership. Cambridge: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ortega, A. N., Feldman, J. M., Canino, G., Steinman, K., & Alegŕia, M. (2006). Co-occurrence of mental and physical illness in US Latinos. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 41(12), 927–934.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ortiz, V. (1995). The diversity of Latino families. In R. Zambrana (Ed.), Understanding Latino families: Scholarship, policy, and practice (pp. 18–39). Thousand Oaks: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parra-Cardona, J. R., Meyer, E., Schiamberg, L., & Post, L. (2007). Elder abuse and neglect in Latino families: An ecological and culturally relevant theoretical framework for clinical practice. Family Process, 46(4), 451–470.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Paz, J., & Applewhite, S. L. (1998). Culturally competent practice. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 30, 1–15.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Phipps, E. J., True, G., & Murray, G. F. (2003). Community perspectives on advance care planning: Report from the community ethics program. Journal of Cultural Diversity, 10(4), 118–123.

    Google Scholar 

  • Piette, J. D., Heisler, M., & Wagner, T. H. (2004). Problems paying out-of-pocket medication costs among older adults with diabetes. Diabetes Care, 27(2), 384–391.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Powers, M., & Faden, R. (2006). Social justice. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ramos, B. M. (2007). Housing disparities, caregiving and their impact for older Puerto Ricans. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 49(1/2), 47–64.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rawls, J. A. (1971). A theory of justice. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosnick, C. B., & Reynolds, S. L. (2003). Thinking ahead: Factors associated with executing advance directives. Journal of Aging Health, 15, 409–429. doi:10.1177/0898264303015002005.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rowe, J. W., & Khan, R. L. (1998). Successful aging. New York: Pantheon Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ruiz, M. E., & Ransford, H. E. (2012). Latino elders reframing familismo: Implications for health and caregiving support. Journal of Cultural Diversity, 19(2), 50–57.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sanchez-Ayendez, M. (1988). The Puerto Rican family. In C. H. Mindel, R. W. Habenstein, & R. Wright Jr (Eds.), Ethnic families in America. New York: Elsevier.

    Google Scholar 

  • Siebert, D. C., Mutran, E. J., & Reitzes, D. C. (1999). Friendship and social support: The importance of role identity to aging adults. Social Work, 44, 522–533.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sotomayor, M. (1992). Empowering Hispanic families: A critical issue for the 90s. Milwaukee: Family Service of America.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stratton, A., Hynes, M. M., & Nepaul, A. N. (2009). The 2009 Connecticut health disparities report. Hartford: Connecticut Department of Public Health.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sue, S. (2003). In defense of cultural competency in psychotherapy and treatment. American Psychologist, 58, 964–970.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tucker, K. L., Mattei, J., Noel, S. E., Collado, B. M., Mendez, J., Nelson, J., et al. (2010). The Boston Puerto Rican health study, a longitudinal cohort study on health disparities in Puerto Rican adults: Challenges and opportunities. BMC Public Health, 10, 107. doi:10.1186/1471-2458-10-107.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Census Bureau Decennial Census. (2010). American fact finder. Retrieved July 19, 2013, from http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/wc_dec.xhtml

  • Vega, W. A., & Alegria, M. (2001). Latino mental health and treatment in the U.S. In C. W. Molina & R. E. Zambrana (Eds.), Health issues in the Latino community (p. 179). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vega, W. A. (1995). The study of Latino families: A point of departure. In R. E. Zambrana (Ed.), Understanding Latino families: Scholarship, policy, and practice (pp. 3–17). Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vega, M. (2010). Latinos “aging in place”: Issues and potential solutions. Unpublished paper presentation by the University of Southern California. Retrieved on 4/12/2013 from http://www.utexas.edu/lbj/caa/2010/presentations/VegaW.pdf

  • Vélez, D., & Cole, S. A. (2008). Culture, place of origin, and service delivery for older adult Latino immigrants: The case of Puerto Rican older adults. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 51, 300–314.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Villa, V., & Torres-Gil, F. (2001). The health of elderly Latinos. In M. Aguirre-Molina, C. W. Molina, & R. E. Zambrana (Eds.), Health issues in the Latino community (pp. 157–178). San Fancisco: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vincent, G. K., & Velkoff, V. A. (2010). The next four decades, the older population in the United States: 2010–2050, Current Population Reports, P25-1138, U.S. Census Bureau, Washington, DC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wallerstein, I. (2005). Latin@s: What’s in a name? In R. Grosfoguel et al. (Eds.), Latin@s in the world-system: Decolonization struggles in the twenty-first century U.S. empire (pp. 31–39). Boulder: Paradigm Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • World Health Organization (WHO). (2013). Commission on social determinants of health. Retrieved May, 1, 2013 from http://www.who.int/social_determinants/thecommission/en/index.html

  • World Health Organization. (2011). Social determinants of health: Key concepts. Final Report of the Commission on Social Determinants of Health. Retrieved on May 1, 2013 from http://www.who.int/social_determinants/thecommission/finalreport/key_concepts/en/index.html

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Connecticut, Mansfield, USA

    Catherine K. Medina & Lirio K. Negroni

Authors
  1. Catherine K. Medina
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Lirio K. Negroni
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Catherine K. Medina .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Social Work, Morgan State University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

    Halaevalu F.Ofahengaue Vakalahi

  2. School of Social Work, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA

    Gaynell M. Simpson

  3. Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College, The City University of New York, New York, New York, USA

    Nancy Giunta

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Medina, C.K., Negroni, L.K. (2014). LATIN@ ELDERS: Securing Healthy Aging Inspite of Health and Mental Health Disparities. In: Vakalahi, H., Simpson, G., Giunta, N. (eds) The Collective Spirit of Aging Across Cultures. International Perspectives on Aging, vol 9. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8594-5_5

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation