Hispanic / Latino American Older Adults

 

Description

This module in the Ethnogeriatric Curriculum for Hispanic/Latino elders is designed to introduce health care trainees to important issues in the care of older Americans from Hispanic/Latino backgrounds. Included are:

• Explanations of the terms used to describe the populations
• Demographic data and sources of data available
• A review of mortality and morbidity data
• Background information on:
  1. Historical background on the specific ethnic groups
  2. Cultural traditions, health beliefs and values, including complementary and alternative medicine, palliative and end-of-life care
• Background and skills needed to provide a culturally competent geriatric assessment
• Treatment issues with Hispanic/Latino elders
• Review of access and utilization of health care

Information in the content section is based on evidence from research, and citations to the published studies are included.

Course Director and Editor in Chief
of the Ethnogeriatrics Curriculum and Training

VJ Periyakoil, MD
Stanford University School of Medicine

Authors

Melissa Talamantes, MS
Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Texas
Health Science Center, San Antonio

Sandra Sanchez-Reilly, MD, AGSF GRECC
South Texas Veterans Health Care System, Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas
Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas

Special thanks to Mary Garza for assistance with the tables.

Copyright/Referencing Information:

Users are free to download and distribute eCampus Geriatrics modules for educational purposes only.

When using this resource please cite us as follows:

Talamantes, M, MS & Sanchez-Reilly, S, MD: Health and health care of Hispanic/Latino American Older Adults https://geriatrics.stanford.edu/ethnomed/latino.html. In Periyakoil VS, eds. eCampus-Geriatrics, Stanford CA, 2010.