Little work has been done on Hispanic elders' self ratings of symptoms of psychological distress and how they may affect service use. We focus on Hispanic elders' reports of loneliness and anxiety, exploring their predictors and how they predict receipt of informal and formal in-home care. It also considers how these patterns of prediction differ among three Hispanic groups: Mexican-Americans, Puerto Ricans, and Cubans. Data are drawn from the National Survey of Hispanic Elderly Persons. Weighted results for the total survey sample (n=1855) showed that 24% reported problems with loneliness, and 42% with anxiety. Logistic regression analysis showed Cubans to be least likely to report such problems, Puerto Ricans most likely; but controlling for functional dependence and sociodemographic factors, differences by ethnicity no longer persist. Loneliness explains greater use of both informal care and formal in-home care, while anxiety predicts less use of formal in-home care. Neither item predicts among Mexican Americans (who account for the majority of actual and weighted respondents). Loneliness predicts greater use of both formal and informal care among Puerto Ricans and Cubans; but anxiety shows no such predictive power. Thus, functional and sociodemographic factors explain differences by ethnicity in the prevalence of loneliness and anziety; but consequences for service use differ by ethnicity, even when such factors are controlled. Findings suggest that psychological distress as well as need are involved in in-home care among Hispanic elders, and should be considered when addressing issues of access and service utilization.
Learning Objectives: Participants should be able to: recognize implications of emotional issues in service use among Hispanic elders; appreciate differences among Hispanic elders of different ethnic backgrounds; and consider implications for access and service utilization
Keywords: Utilization, Hispanic
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.