Celebrating and serving older adults during Hispanic Heritage Month.
From September 15 to October 15, the U.S. celebrates the Hispanic and Latino community during National Hispanic Heritage Month. The Latino community in the U.S. is astoundingly diverse, representing people of all economic backgrounds, races, abilities, and, of course, ages.
Like the rest of the U.S. population, the Latino community is aging. In 2019, there were almost 5 million Latino adults over 65 in the U.S., about 9% of the 65+ population. By 2060, that number is projected to reach almost 20 million (12%). In 2019, according to the Administration for Community Living, 60% of Latinos over 65 lived in three states: Florida, Texas, and California. About 63% had finished high school. Households headed by Hispanic Americans over 65 had a median income of $50,553, as compared to $70,254 for all households.
CSAs serve the Latino community in all kinds of ways: health care, financial services, support services, and more. We’re serving both older adults and their families: today, about 7 million Latinos provide unpaid care to a family member or loved one.
Are you being intentional about reaching out to your local Latino community? If not, Hispanic Heritage Month is a great time to start. Here are four ways that CSAs can support Latino clients and their families.
Professional Organizations Serving Latino Seniors
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2. Connect with Hispanic-serving organizations in your area. Look for where the Latino community is going for services in your area, and talk with those organizations. There might be great local opportunities to network and promote your services to the people who need them. For example, the Latino Providers Network in Maryland unites service providers from various sectors to network, share resources, and maximize the impact of services for the Latino community. Insurance providers, the Alzheimer’s Association, community economic development boards, small businesses, and others come together at these meetings to create connections and share Spanish-language service opportunities.
3. Learn about the most common challenges facing Hispanic older adults and their families. Latino seniors often experience higher rates of chronic health conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease, sometimes linked to genetic factors as well as limited access to preventive care. Latinos are 1.5 times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease as compared to their white counterparts. Older adults who immigrated later in life may face reduced eligibility for public benefits, which affects their ability to manage chronic conditions. Latino caregivers tend to be younger, at 43, than the average caregiver in the U.S. Understanding the common challenges can help service providers reach this audience.
4. Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month! Representation matters. Even though they’re the largest minority population in the U.S., the Hispanic and Latino community are under-represented in media and advertising. National Hispanic Heritage Month organizers offer social media toolkits and ideas for how to promote the monthlong celebration. Culture, history, food, music, poetry, and art from multiple continents–there’s plenty to celebrate.
Additional sources:
https://www.latinxproject.nyu.edu/intervenxions/national-coalition-for-latinxs-with-disabilities
https://latino.si.edu/learn/teaching-and-learning-resources/hispanic-heritage-month-resources
https://states.aarp.org/texas/the-changing-face-of-the-latino-caregiver
https://www.usagainstalzheimers.org/networks/latinos
https://www.diverseelders.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/2018-Status-of-Hispanic-Older-Adults.pdf
