Health Benefits of Pet Ownership for Older Adults (National Minority Health Month)

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    In recognition of National Minority Health Month, the Diverse Elders Coalition is featuring stories relevant to the health disparities and health issues affecting diverse older adults during April. A new story will be shared every Wednesday with additional posts shared throughout the month. Be sure to visit diverseelders.org regularly during the month of April.

    April is National Minority Health Month, and the theme for this year is “Prevention is Power: Taking Action for Health Equity.” There are a lot of things diverse older adults can do to prevent serious health problems. Eating a healthy diet, exercising, and having regular checkups from a health care provider can all help prevent serious health issues..... Read More

                 

    ACA: Vital to Diverse Older Adults – Don’t Be Left Out

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    With the start of the New Year, people across the country started coverage on insurance plans selected through the Health Insurance Marketplace. For racially and ethnically diverse and LGBT older adults, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the Marketplace pose both the opportunity for better health and the challenge of possibly being left behind by a new program. The Diverse Elders Coalition (DEC) is now working to improve the health of the populations that it serves and to empower them to fully participate in the ACA.

    A recent article by Kaiser Health News identifies some of the opportunities and challenges California’s Hispanic population face. The article highlights the tremendous help the Health Insurance Marketplace has been.... Read More

                 

    Don’t Be Left Behind: Accessibility and Mobility Challenges in an Aging Society

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    At the start of October, the National Hispanic Council on Aging (NHCOA) held a Capitol Hill advocacy day as part of its 2013 NHCOA National Summit. During the advocacy day, groups of seniors met with members of Congressional staff and told them about the lives of Hispanic older adults and the issues they faced in their communities. The staff members and Congressional offices were happy to meet with the older adults and gave them a warm welcome. Overall, everyone that took part in the event agreed that it is important to all people to have access to their elected officials.

    As the advocacy day continued, walking from office to office in Capitol Hill became difficult for the seniors. While the.... Read More

                 

    Reminder: One Month Left in Medicare Open Enrollment

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    Medicare Open Enrollment is the time of year when beneficiaries can change their Medicare health plan and prescription drug coverage for the following year. Each year Medicare Open Enrollment runs from October 15-December 7. The National Hispanic Council on Aging (NHCOA) encourages you to consider reviewing your Medicare drug or health care plan, and/or assist your loved ones in reviewing theirs. You can use the materials provided in NHCOA’s Medicare Open Enrollment toolkit to assist you in reviewing your options in order to find the coverage that best meets your needs. However, if.... Read More

                 

    Health Exchange Open Enrollment Cannot Come Soon Enough

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    According to the latest American Community Survey, about 30% of Hispanics lack health insurance. Medicare provides nearly universal coverage, however, so the vast majority of uninsured Hispanics are age 65 and under. In fact, about 35% of Hispanics between the ages of 45 and 54, about 42% between 35 and 44, about 48% between 25 and 34, and about 47% between ages 18 and 24 lack health insurance. Despite making up 16% of the population, Hispanics represent 33% of the nation’s uninsured. Open enrollment for the ACA’s Health Insurance Marketplaces starts October 1st and cannot come soon enough for the Hispanic population.

    Health and economic security in old age are not determined solely after one turns 65. Having.... Read More

                 

    Language, Idioma, 語, ភាសា: Speaking limited English can pose unique challenges for older people

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    According to the Census Bureau, about 20% of people speak a language other than English at home. That’s 1 in 5 people! And over the years, this number has only grown. The Census Bureau has developed a map that shows in which parts of the country these people live. What the map shows is that there are people whose preferred language is not English in all but the most sparsely populated parts of the country. Language access is a civil right, and these rights are reflected in federal law. It is also becoming more common to see instructions on packages, advertisements, and other messages translated into languages other than English, as well. When it comes to language.... Read More

                 

    Why Getting Online Matters for Diverse Older Adults

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    Who doesn’t have a smart phone these days? Mobile technology is one of the fastest growing of the new technologies out there. And for many young and middle aged adults, it seems like the laptop is the technology of “yesteryear.” Yet many older adults, especially those over 65, may not own or know how to operate a computer. There’s a large divide between who is “plugged” in and who is not.

    Across racial and ethnic groups, young people are more likely to use new technologies than older adults.  For example, even though Hispanic households with middle- and high incomes have high rates of internet usages, older Hispanics are far less likely to use the internet.  Overall, Read More

                 

    Alzheimer’s Disease Among Hispanic Older Adults

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    Over the past several months, the National Hispanic Council on Aging (NHCOA) has conducted focus groups to learn about what Hispanic older adults and caregivers know about Alzheimer’s disease (AD).  We found that people have a wide variety of beliefs about what causes the condition and how to prevent it.  We also heard the insights of caregivers for people with AD.  While there is no known cure or prevention measure for AD, caregivers can pass on advice and teach other caregivers how to cope with the stress of providing care.

     “I would have her tested to be able to help her better, and have a better life for me and all of those who live at home.”

    “The.... Read More

                 

    Immigration Reform: Key Issues for Older Adults and People with Disabilities

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    The National Hispanic Council on Aging (NHCOA) works with many organizations advocating for immigration reform.  However, not many advocates are considering the effect reform could have on older adults.  I am happy that NHCOA was able to partner with the National Council on Aging and Caring Across Generations to develop the issue brief Immigration Reform: Key Issues for Older Adults and People with Disabilities.  Aging advocates have a large role to play in immigration reform and this resource will help inform them on the varying issues faced by older people and people with disabilities.

    Read the full issue brief here.

    And don’t forget to come back on Wednesday April 10, right here on diverseelders.org as.... Read More

                 

    Recognizing Older Latinas During Women’s History Month

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    March is National Women’s History Month. Recognizing the contributions older Latinas make is important, but it does not happen often enough in our society. The Hispanic older women that the National Hispanic Council on Aging (NHCOA) works with encourage others to contribute to their communities and provide inspiration for those looking for the right way to give. The theme for this year’s Women’s History Month is “Inspiring Innovation Through Imagination,” and the community leaders that NHCOA has trained live this theme on a daily basis.

    Over the last several years, NHCOA has conducted Empowerment and Civic Engagement Training (ECET) and developed over 800 community leaders, the vast majority of them older adult women..... Read More

                 

    Introducing the ‘Improving Services and Activities for Diverse Elders Act’

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    There are many services and supports for older adults available at no cost. Things like home delivered meals, transportation services, and benefits counseling all help older adults live in their own homes and communities and age in dignity. The Older Americans Act (OAA) is the law that provides these services and supports and creates the nation’s infrastructure for aging. It is an invaluable law that helps millions of people each year. Despite the law’s successes and importance, it faces deep budget cuts and is becoming outdated..... Read More

                 

    Latino Seniors Describe their Needs

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    This summer, the National Hispanic Council on Aging (NHCOA) has been traveling to key regions of the country to host its Promoting Communities of Success Regional Meetings.  These meetings allow NHCOA to hear the needs and perspectives of Hispanic older adults, their families, and caregivers and also to empower them to become more civically engaged.

    Newspaper articles print grim economic statistics, but in order to learn the true human cost of these numbers, we must listen to real individuals and hear their background and perspective. This information is key in aligning daily needs with meaningful policy solutions. Three common themes we picked up at the Dallas and Miami regional meetings were: (1) Hispanic older adults are still recovering from the.... Read More