Older Hispanics Face Language and Cultural Barriers to Long-Term Care Daniel Trielli - The Associated Press
go to original August 28, 2017

Hispanics see barriers to nursing care (Asilo San Juan Diego Senior Citizen Home)

Close to one-half of older Hispanics have faced language or cultural barriers interacting with health care providers, and few have confidence in long-term care facilities to meet their needs, according to a poll by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

And that may result in lower use of nursing care, even as Hispanics live longer than their non-Hispanic counterparts.

Fewer than 2 in 10 Hispanics age 40 and older say they are very or extremely confident that nursing homes and assisted living facilities can accommodate their cultural needs, according to the poll.

Experts cite two factors that might be contributing to the lack of confidence: social norms among Hispanic families that discourage outside care of older relatives, and a lack of high-quality providers.

"Quality is not just meeting government requirements. It's also having high engagement and a sense of community," said Jacqueline Angel, a sociology professor at the University of Texas at Austin, who has researched Hispanics and aging.

Jane Delgado, president of the National Alliance for Hispanic Health, agreed. Most nursing homes have not been attuned to the particular needs of Hispanics, she said. "Culture is not something that they are interested in."

The poll found that about half of Hispanics have had difficulty communicating with a health care provider because of a cultural (47 percent) or language barrier (45 percent).

Angel said that may result in lower use of long-term care facilities.

Read the rest at KansasCity.com

Related: Mexico’s Aging Future is Depressing, Says Study (Prensa Latina)

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