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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Susan L. Ivey, MD, MHSA, Winston Tseng, PhD, Carrie L. Graham, PhD, MGS, and Arnab Mukherjea, MPH. Health Research for Action, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, 140 Warren Hall #7360, Berkeley, CA 94720-7360, 510-643-4461, winston@berkeley.edu

Health Research for Action conducted 20 focus groups and 5 family case studies in the San Francisco Bay Area to study roles of caregivers and older care recipients recently hospitalized and discharged home. We conducted 8 focus groups among informal caregivers caring for Asian American elders (50 years old and older) across 4 counties. Focus groups were conducted in English, Cantonese, Tagalog and Vietnamese among Chinese, Pilipino, Vietnamese and South Asian caregivers. One of the case studies we conducted was with a Korean family going through the post-discharge period. In the focus groups, traditional reverence for elders and intergenerational change in parent-child relationships were discussed. While there were some shared perspectives on duty to parents, and a general perception that Americans were less supportive of older adults remaining with their families in the community, there were also ethnic-specific themes that emerged for each of the study groups. In both the focus groups and the case study, caregivers indicated pride in providing care. Converging and unique themes among Asian participants will be discussed within the context of enhancing support services and interventions for caregivers and care recipients during the transition from hospital to home. Institutional barriers to elder well-being are summarized. Barriers to care such as poor insurance access, low availability of needed services and lack of cultural competence among providers will also be discussed. Specific enabling factors needed such as transportation, care management, interpretation and in-language materials will be described. We propose some post-discharge care solutions across diverse Asian populations.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant in this session will be able to

• Describe common themes for caregivers from diverse Asian communities in California.
• Recognize unique viewpoints of Pilipino, Chinese, Vietnamese and South Asian caregivers.
• Discuss potential barriers to providing optimal care for Asian elders and families dealing with post-hospital care.

Keywords: Caregivers, Barriers to Care

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Handout (.ppt format, 733.0 kb)