Abstract
In order to understand the health needs of older immigrants (those 60 or more years of age) it is especially important to appreciate the heterogeneous nature of this population. First, older immigrants differ from one another in terms of the immigration experience itself, for example, age on arrival in the United States, country of origin, and mode of immigration. Each of these differences shapes their adaptation to life in the United States, their experiences and perceptions of health and illness, and their preferences for treatment. Second, as older people, elderly immigrants are also distinct from younger immigrants from the same country. On average older immigrants are likely to be more rural in origin, less educated, and less employable than younger cohorts. These characteristics can contribute to high rates of financial and emotional dependence on the young. Finally, as older people, elderly immigrants are also likely to face an array of health problems less frequently faced by the young, for example, chronic illness, disability, and the need for long-term care. The sections that follow focus on the impact of the diversity of the older immigrant population on health care needs and on the meeting of those needs.
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Ikels, C. (1998). Aging. In: Loue, S. (eds) Handbook of Immigrant Health. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-1936-6_23
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