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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Carolyn A. Mendez-Luck, PhD, MPH, School of Public Health; Center for Health Improvement in Minority Elders/Resource Centers for Minority Aging Research, UCLA, 10920 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 300, Los Angeles, CA 90024, 310 794 2207, camendez@ucla.edu

Older Latinos are more likely to receive unpaid familial help than to pay for formal in-home services. They are also more likely to remain in the community at higher disability levels and delay entry into nursing homes compared to non-Latino whites. Studies suggest that Latinos perceive the caregiving role differently from other ethnic groups, accounting for delays in nursing home placement. However, little research has been done on differences in care within Latino sub-groups, particularly between immigrant and U.S.-born members of the same sub-group, such as persons of Mexican descent. This qualitative study examined how Mexican-origin women of East Los Angeles conceptualized caregiving to older relatives, with an emphasis on the roles that cultural factors played in their caregiving experiences. A theoretical framework was applied to examine their conceptual constructs of elder caregiving. Forty in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with immigrant and U.S.-born Mexican women (20 in each group), on their caregiving practices, constructs and cultural beliefs. Study findings showed that caregiving activities were defined differently between immigrant and non-immigrant caregivers; immigrant caregivers focused on affective elements of care, such as companionship and emotional support, whereas non-immigrant caregivers focused on instrumental and task-focused activities. These results suggest that the underlying cultural knowledge used to organize behaviors and interpret experiences differed for these two caregiver groups. These differences in cultural knowledge point to different social realities for immigrant and non-immigrant Mexican Latinas. This study supports recent findings that among Latina caregivers, positive cultural orientation is inversely related to acculturation level.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will be able to
• identify the activities of caregiving for immigrant and non-immigrant Mexican Latinas; and
• describe the cultural factors that contribute to differences in caregiving conceptualizations between immigrant and non-immigrant Mexican Latinas.

Keywords: Caregivers, Latinos

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered