Posts related to Hispanic Heritage Month

Wisdom from Hispanic Elders and Leaders to Kick Off Hispanic Heritage Month

By
Con la sabiduría de los adultos mayores y líderes Hispanos celebramos el inicio del Mes de la Herencia Hispana!

September 15th marks the first day of Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 – October 15), a time to reflect on the powerful heritage of the Latinx communities — a heritage that is passed down from elders to the generations to come. We’ll be sharing stories of Latinx community, culture, tradition, and resilience all month long on our blog, Facebook and Twitter, but I wanted to start our celebration off right with a series of powerful quotes from Hispanic older adults and leaders that will inspire you all month long.

El 15 de.... Read More

             

Latinos & Alzheimer’s: Empowering Communities Through Culture

By

The names of friends and family members become harder to remember. You might forget how to tie your shoes or have difficulty dressing in the morning. You might find yourself lost in places that you have known your entire life or be confused by what day of the week it is. These are some of the early signs of Alzheimer’s, a progressive brain disease impacting millions of Americans — and hitting women and communities of color especially hard. 

In fact, Latinos are 1.5 times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s or a related dementia than non-Latino whites, and a report from LatinosAgainstAlzheimer’s and the USC Roybal Institute on Aging projects the number of Latinos living with.... Read More

             

Seniors Dance for Health, Life—and to Beat the Blues

By

by Jacqueline García. This article originally appeared on New America Media.

When a group of elderly women dance, their eyes focus on their hands, their movements and their fans.

Their dresses are colorful, flowers adorn their hair, and their shoes have heels, not too high but elegant.

“Dancing is art and is life,” said Ana Miranda, age 65, after a presentation at the World Conference on Geriatrics and Gerontology in San Francisco in late July. The once-in-four-years conference attracted 6,000 experts in aging from 75 countries.

Miranda along with the other women belong to the San Francisco Mission Neighborhood Center (MNC) Healthy Aging program. She has attended the senior center for more than five years and said the.... Read More

             

Hispanic Family Caregiving: Proceedings From a Thought Leaders Roundtable

By

This post originally appeared on the NHCOA blog.

On February 14, 2017, the National Hispanic Council on Aging (NHCOA) hosted a Caregiving Thought Leaders Roundtable in Washington, DC. The roundtable focused on identifying the education and training needed to support Hispanic caregivers. The discussion was based on a new study released by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) focusing on Family Caregiving for Older Adults. The information gathered from the convening will inform NHCOA’s national strategy on family caregiving and create awareness on caregiving among Hispanics.

.... Read More
             

SAGE Awards Gala Brings in Record Donations for LGBT Elders

By

This post originally appeared on the SAGE blog.

_MG_9038 (use)
SAGE Participant George Stewart: “SAGE feels more like a family than an organization.”
Photo: Dan Klein Photography

On October 17, LGBT leaders and allies came together for the 21st Annual SAGE Awards & Gala to honor those whose contributions have profoundly enhanced the LGBT aging community. Held at the Cipriani Wall Street in New York City, the event drew more than 800 attendees and raised a record $900,000 on behalf of LGBT elders across the country. SAGE CEO Michael Adams, who was recognized on his 10th year leading the.... Read More

             

This Hispanic Heritage Month, Let’s Rejoice in the Beauty of our Culture

By

by Bianca Perez. This post originally appeared on the NHCOA blog.

Celebrating Latino heritage means rejoicing in our culture and its differences, commemorating our traditions, and applauding our accomplishments. It means feeling proud of our background and exposing others to the beauty that surrounds our lives. For many Latinos who have migrated to the United States, Latino Heritage Month is a way to maintain our connection with our roots and to showcase the beauty that makes up our Latino culture. For those who were born here it is a way to keep the memories of our ancestors alive and to explore the depths of our heritage.

Older adults — our abuelitos and abuelitas or, for some, our parents — are the ones.... Read More

             

The Importance of Latinos in Clinical Trials

By

This post originally appeared on the NHCOA blog.

Latinos comprise one of the U.S.’s largest ethnic groups, making up 17% of the U.S. population; however, they only make up 1% of those participating in clinical trials, according to data from the National Press. This is concerning as Latinos have a higher rate of chronic disease and are one of the fastest growing demographics in the nation.

Clinical trials are generally research studies that examine if a treatment or medical strategy is effective for individuals with a certain illness. Sadly, the participation of minorities in clinical trials across the United States is under-represented.

For example, according to the University of California, Davis, African Americans experience the highest.... Read More

             

Older Americans Month and the Role of Older Adults in Our Lives

By

U.S. culture is often described as youth focused — a description that is certainly true of U.S. popular culture. Driven by Hollywood standards of beauty and fashion, our media outlets inundate us with images and analyses of trends, as well as star gossip. Invariably, these images and analyses focus on the young and beautiful stars of stage, screen and popular music.

Today, however, the U.S. faces a demographic shift that will likely also force a cultural shift.  As the nation’s baby boomers age, we are for the first time in our history becoming an aging society, where older adults outnumber the young. Ever the harbinger of cultural change, the U.S. entertainment industry is already featuring older stars on stage and.... Read More

             

What do Older Adults Need to Thrive?

By

This blog post originally appeared on Medium.com.

by Maria Eugenia Hernandez-Lane

This is a question that I have consistently asked throughout my time with the National Hispanic Council on Aging. This question has helped guide along our goals as an organization dedicated to improving the lives of Hispanic older adults, their families and caregivers. So, what do older adults need to thrive? The question itself seems very simple, yes. There are a number of things you could argue are essential for seniors to thrive. But, for Hispanic seniors in the U.S., these needs come down to one thing: being seen and treated with the dignity of.... Read More

             

Latinos and Retirement: 6 Things Dallas Taught Me

By

By Maria F. Mata. This post originally appeared on Medium.com.

Last summer, a group of colleagues and I went to Dallas to coordinate a series of activities for Latino older adults that included an open forum with seniors, local leaders, and representatives from private and government agencies that work on aging issues. Dallas welcomed us with warmness and kindness from residents, ample sunshine, and many stories that touched my soul.

Part of my research work was to collect data and testimonies to be included in a final report on the status of Hispanic older adults in Dallas, focusing on retirement security and other related topics. It is.... Read More

             

Memories Worth Fighting For

By

I remember the day I graduated from college like it was yesterday. My family flew in from our small town in South Texas to watch me become the first person in our family to graduate from college. The look on my mother’s face as I walked across the stage on that sunny DC day will be with me forever…or at least I hope it will.  Memory is more fragile than we think, particularly for Latinos.

While not widely known, Latinos are 1.5 times more likely than non-Hispanic whites to get Alzheimer’s, a progressive brain disease that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills and is ultimately fatal. According to researchers, Alzheimer’s disease contributes to the deaths of.... Read More

             
Page 2 of 212