Hispanic Elderly More Likely to Live in Inferior Nursing Homes

 
Hispanix seniors face a gap in
quality of care compared to white
residents; © SXC

Hispanic senior citizens are living in nursing homes in ever-increasing numbers, but they face a gap in their quality of care compared to white residents.

A team of the Brown University led by Mary Fennell, professor of sociology and community health, found that Hispanic elderly are more likely than whites to live in nursing homes of poor quality. These residences are often faced with structural problems, staffing issues and financial trouble.

Fennell said the paper is the first full-scale analysis of its kind to attempt to look broadly at Hispanics in nursing homes – what kind of nursing homes they live in and how care at those facilities compares to nursing homes which care mostly for white elderly people. She said the data revealed a sharp disparity in care.

"The most shocking finding is the pervasiveness of disparities in nursing home care that are primarily white, compared to nursing homes that are a mix of whites and Hispanic residences," Fennell said.

Fennell said the findings, in part, reflect a departure from prior patterns of elder care among Hispanic families in the United States. Traditionally, the group has used formal long-term care services less frequently than any other U.S. ethnic group. They had also been less likely than white or black residents to live in nursing homes. In Hispanic households, elder care has traditionally been handled by adult daughters at home, but acculturation and financial issues have forced a growing number of young Hispanic women into work outside the home.

As a result, Fennell said, the loss of home caregivers is occurring even as the growth of the elderly Hispanic population rises dramatically. The authors estimate that more than 5 percent of the current Hispanic population is elderly, a number that is expected to quadruple during the next ten years. That number should rise to 4.5 million by 2010, according to Fennell and her team.

Fennell argues that the impact of substandard nursing home care is a complex issue. Residents admitted to nursing homes have often already endured hospitalizations or a health issue that required expensive, high-level care. Once admitted, the individual is then often caught in a spiral of long-term lower quality of life, multiple episodes of poor health and ongoing chronic conditions without a way out.

"People with resources can get into very good places or alternatives for nursing home care," Fennell said. "Everyone else is left with not-very-good facilities that are not performing well."

REHACARE.de; Source: Brown University

- More about the Brown University at www.brown.edu

( Source: REHACARE.de )

Related Articles

• Unique Alzheimer's and Dementia Care Program
• Diabetic Research Could Reduce Screening Costs
• Ways to Evaluate End-of-Life Care in Nursing Homes