Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Aging Service Need and Use Among Chinese American Seniors: Intragroup Variations

  • Published:
Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Existing literature on aging service use by Asian/Chinese American seniors mainly focuses on documenting and explaining low service use in the Asian/Chinese senior population. However, service use is not uniformly low, and variations in need and use do occur within the Asian/Chinese senior population. Little research focuses on these service need and use variations. This paper focuses on those variations within one group, Chinese American seniors. Through a community-based case study, we found, first, that Chinese American seniors are internally diversified, and consist of several subgroups, which can be identified largely through immigration timing and status, work history, current living situations, and language and driving ability. Second, each subgroup has particular service need and use patterns. Third, service need and use variations are related to the characteristics that define the subgroups, to perceptions of service need, availability, accessibility and to service source preference. The findings from this study suggest that research in general about service need and use by minority seniors may be helped through more detailed analyses by sub-population, and through the use of perceptions of service availability and accessibility and service source preference.

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

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Administration on Aging. (1997). 1995 State program report for Titles III and VII of the Older Americans Act. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berkowitz, Suzanne. (1997). Analyzing qualitative data. In J. Frechtling and L. Sharp (eds.), User-Friendly Handbook for Mixed Method Evaluations (NSF 97-153). Arlington, VA: Directorate for Education and Human Resources, Division of Research, Evaluation and Communication National Science Foundation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Capitman, J., Hernandez, W. & Yee, D. (1990). Cultural diversity and the aging network: an exploratory study. Brandeis University, Waltham, MA: National Aging Resources Center.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chapell, N. (1987). The interface among three systems of care: Self, informal, and formal. In R. Ward and S. Tobin (eds.), Health and Aging: Sociological Issues and Policy Directions. New York: Springer Publishing Company.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen, P. N. (1979). A study of Chinese American elderly residing in hotel rooms, Social Casework 60(2): 89-95.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cheng, M. (1989). Elderly Chinese living in the United States: assimilation or adjustment, The Gerontologist 32:508-518.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cheng, E. (1978). The Elder Chinese. San Diego; San Diego State University, Center on Aging.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cheung, L. Y. S., Cho, E. R., Lum, D., Tang, T. Y. & Yau, H. B. (1980). The Chinese elderly and family structure: Implications for health care, Public Health Reports 95(5): 491-495.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cho, P. J. (1998). Awareness and utilization: A comment, The Gerontologist 38(3):317-319.

    Google Scholar 

  • Damron-Rodriguez, J., Wallace, S. & Kington, R. (1994). Service Utilization and Minor-ity Elderly: Appropriateness, Accessibility and Acceptbility, Gerontology and Geriatrics Education 15(1):45-63.

    Google Scholar 

  • Die, A. H. & Seelbach, W. C. (1988). Sources of assistance, and knowledge of services among elderly Vietnamese immigrants, The Gerontologist 28(4):448-52.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dietz, T., John, R.. & Roy, L. (1998). Exploring intra-ethnic diversity among four groups of Hispanic elderly: patterns and levels of service utilization, International Journal of Aging and Human Development (46:3):247-266.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fujii, S. M. (1973). Elderly Asian Americans and use of public services, Social Casework 57(3):202-207.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hernandez-Gallegos, W., Capitman, J. A. & Yee, D. (1993). Conceptual Understanding of Long-Term Service Use by Elders of Color. In C. Barresi & D. Stull (eds.), Ethnic Elderly and Long-Term Care. New York: Springer Publishing Company.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ishii, K. M. (1997). Intergenerational relationship among Chinese, Japanese, and Korean Amer-icans, Family Relations 46(1):23-32.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kalish, R. A. & Moriwaki, S. (1973). The world of the elderly Asian American, Journal of Social Issues 29(2):187-209.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kamikawa, L. M. (1987). Responding to diversity: program options for the Pacific/Asian elderly: final report. Los Angeles, CA: National Pacific/Asian Resources Center on Aging. Special Services for Groups.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kamilkawa, L. M. (1981). Elderly: A Pacific/Asian perspective, Aging 319–20:2-9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krout, J. A. (1983). Utilization of services by the elderly, Social Service Review 58:281-290.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, J. J. (1986). Asian American elderly: a neglected minority group, Journal of Gerontological Social Work 9(4):103-116.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, J. J. (1991). Development, delivery, and utilization of services under the OAA: a perspective of API. New York: Garland Publisher.

    Google Scholar 

  • Litwak, E. (1985). Helping the elderly: the complementary roles of informal network and formal system. New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Logan, J., & Sptize, G. (1994). Informal support and the use of formal services by older Americans, Journal of Gerontology 49(1):s225-s234.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lum, D., Cheung, L. Y. S., Cho, E. R., Tang, T. Y. & Yau, H. B. (1980). The psycosocial needs of the Chinese elderly. Social Casework 61(2). 100-106.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCaslin, R. (1988). Reframing research on service use among the elderly: An analysis of recent finding, The Gerontologist 28(5):592-599.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller, B., Campbell, R., Davis, L., Furner, S., Giachello, A., Prohaska, T., Kaufman, J., Li, M. & Perez, C. (1996). Minority use of community long-term care services: A comparative analysis, Journal of Gerontology 51B(2):s70-s81.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mindel, C. & Wright, R. (1982). The use of social services by Black and White el-derly: the role of social support systems, Journal of Gerontological Social Work 4:107-125.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mokuau, N., ed. (1991). Handbook of social services for Asian and Pacific Islanders. CT: Greenwood Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moon, A., Lubben, J. & Villa, V. (1998). Awareness and utilization of community long-term care services by elderly korean and non-hispanic White American, The Gerontologist 38(3):309-316.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morioka, D. N. & Yeo, G. (1990). Aging and health: Asian/Pacific Island American elders. Standford, CA: Standford Geriatric Education Center.

    Google Scholar 

  • National Asian/Pacific Center on Aging. (1997). Written testimony and recommendations for the White House Conference on Aging. Seattle, Washington.

    Google Scholar 

  • New York State Office for Aging. (1991–1997). New York State Office for the Aging Consol-idated Area Agency Reporting System Quarterly Status Reports.

  • Salcido, R. M., Nakano, C. & Jue, S. (1980). The use of formal and informal health and welfare services of the Asian-American elderly: an exploratory study, California Sociologist 3(2):213-29.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spence, S. & Atherton, C. (1991). The Black elderly and the social service delivery system: a study of factors influencing the use of community-based services, Journal of Gerontological Social Work (16):19-35.

    Google Scholar 

  • Starrett, R., Todd, M. & DeLeon, L. (1989). Comparison of the social service utilization behavior of the Cuban and Puerto Rican elderly, Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences 11(4):341-353.

    Google Scholar 

  • Starrett, R., Wright, R., Mindel, C. & Tran, T. (1989). The use of social services by Hispanic elderly: A comparison of Mexican American, Puerto Rican and Cuban elderly, Journal of Social Service Research 13(1):1-25.

    Google Scholar 

  • Starrett, R. & Decker, J. (1984). The utilization of discretionary services by the Hispanic elderly: A causal analysis. California Sociologist 7(2):159-180.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tanjasiri, S., Wallace, S. & Shibata, K. (1995). Picture imperfect: hidden problems among Asian Pacific Islander elderly, The Gerontologist 35(6)753-760.

    Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 Summary File 2, 100 Percent Sample; generated by Ya-Lin Liu; <http://factfinder.census.gov > (12 December 2002)

  • Ward, R. (1977). Services for older people: an integrated framework for research, Journal of Health and Social Behavior 18:61-70.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wong, B. (1985). Family, kinship, and ehtnic identity of the Chinese in New York city, with comparative remarks on the Chinese in Lima, Peru, Manila, Philippines, Journal of Com-parative Family Studies 16(2):231-254.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wong, M. G. (1984). Economic survival: the case of Asian-American elderly, Economic Per-spectives 27(2): 197-217.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wray, L. (1991). Public policy implications of an ethnicially diverse elderly population, Journal of Cross-cultural Gerontology 6:243-257.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wu, F. Y. T. (1975). Mandarin-speaking aged Chinese in the Los Angeles area, The Gerontol-ogist 15(3):271-75.

    Google Scholar 

  • Young, J. & Gu, N. (1995). Demographic and socio-economic characteristics of elderly Asian and Pacific Island Americans. National Asian Pacific Center on Aging.

  • Yu, L. C. (1983). Patterns of filial belief and behavior within the contemporary Chinese American family, International Journal of Sociology of the Family 13(1):17-36.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zarit, S., Pearlin, L. & Schaie, W., eds. (1993). Caregiving system: informal and formal helpers. Hillside, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates (Social structure and aging series).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1400, Washington Avenue, Albany, New York, 12222, USA

    Ya-Lin Liu

Authors
  1. Ya-Lin Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Liu, YL. Aging Service Need and Use Among Chinese American Seniors: Intragroup Variations. Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology 18, 273–301 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JCCG.0000004899.74875.ef

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JCCG.0000004899.74875.ef

Search

Navigation