This paper reviews the literature on assessing elderly Hispanic Americans within the current neuropsychological context. The focus is on operationalizing multicultural competency through developing awareness, acquiring knowledge, and developing skills. In the realm of developing awareness, it is important to become aware of ones own limitations,…

Although the determinants of experienced and reported crime have been fairly extensively studied, there is relatively little consensus about the predictors of victimization or likelihood of reporting crimes, and research on the elderly Hispanic Americans as victims and reporters is practically nonexistent. In l979-80, a national study used a…

Eighteen diverse Hispanic Americans aged 60 and over residing in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, a non-barrio environment, were questioned to ascertain the attitudes of elderly Hispanic Americans in the county toward nursing homes. A bilingual questionnaire, consisting of 17 questions, was used to collect demographic information, determine opinions of…

In 1979-80, a national study used a combination of the Older Americans Resources and Services Functional Assessment Questionnaire and the Subjective Distress Scale of Psychiatric Status Schedule to assess the service needs of the Hispanic elderly. Thirty variables were selected from this data and categorized using Anderson and Newman's (1973)…

A cross-cultural study was conducted on California's Multipurpose Senior Services Project, a case management project designed to improve community-based care for the elderly. The coping style differences between Hispanic and Anglo clients and the treatment style differences between Hispanic and Anglo workers were examined through structured…

Measured by cash income, the rate of poverty among the age 65 and older population has fallen dramatically, especially since 1974--from 25 percent in 1968 to 14.1 percent in 1983. However, this decline is the result more of an increase in poverty rates for the nonelderly in recent years than of major progress in reducing poverty for those over 65.…

Changes in the geographic distribution of Hispanics have created a new focus on Hispanic populations removed from the traditional Hispanic population centers. To focus on the needs of rural elderly Hispanics, interviews with 110 rural elderly Hispanic subjects were conducted that emphasized the reliance of the rural elderly on family members. A…

The study examined the role played by informal (i.e., family, kin, neighbors, friends) and quasiformal (i.e., church-sponsored) support systems in predicting, enhancing, or inhibiting use of social services by Hispanic elderly. Thirty-seven variables and data selected from a 1979-1980 15-state survey of 1,805 noninstitutionalized Hispanic…

While there are acknowledged physical, psychological, and social benefits to be derived from maintaining sexual activity in old age, the negative cultural attitudes displayed by younger members of society as well as by their own peers constitute a barrier to the achievement of a satisfactory sex life for the elderly. A study was undertaken to…

A review of pertinent research on the adaptation of ethnic minority elderly to life-threatening events (personal, man-made, or natural) exposes voids in the research, presents methodological considerations, and indicates that ethnic minority elderly are disproportionately victimized by life-threatening events. Unusually high numbers of…

Depression is the single most widespread mental health problem facing the elderly, with pharmacotherapy the most frequent standard treatment modality for these patients. A psycho-therapeutic alternative to pharmacotherapy is Life Enhancement Counseling, a counseling approach matching therapeutic techniques to client characteristics and providing…

Although inflation has forced many older persons to find part-time employment or to continue working past their anticipated retirement age, stereotypes of aging may hinder the acceptance of older persons in the workplace. It is particularly important to assess attitudes toward the elderly in a working class population who will first feel the…

Data obtained from interviews with 1,804 non-institutionalized Hispanic individuals age 55 and over were analyzed in an attempt to understand how formal and informal social support systems and awareness of available social services (environmental awareness) affect the ability of elderly Hispanics to remain independent within their communities. The…

Multiple regression and path analyses of 29 demographic, social, and psychological variables were carried out to determine those variables that influenced the use of community-based mental health services by the Hispanic elderly. The variables were classified using the Andersen and Newman framework which conceptualizes the individual's demand for…

The study found distinctly different interrelationships among factors affecting social service use by Mexican American, Puerto Rican, and Cuban elderly. Twenty-nine variables and data selected from a 1979-80 15-state survey of 1,805 noninstitutionalized Hispanic individuals aged 55 and over were categorized by the Andersen-Newman model of service…