Disease Risk Among Older Latinos in Los Angeles
By Saher Selod
The Los Angeles Partnership for Evidence-Based Solutions in Elder Health (LAP) released The State of Aging and Health Among Older Latinos in Los Angeles, a 2009 report that identifies strategies to combat the chronic illnesses and diseases that plague this segment of the population. It provides advice on how to not only reduce the mortality rate associated with chronic diseases for Latino older adults, but to also improve their quality of life. Five federal agencies from the Department of Health and Human Services collaborated to find ways to assist this at-risk group and reduce the health disparities they face.
Latinos are a growing aging population in the U.S. By 2030 in Los Angeles, more than 750,000 Latinos will be older than 65. Latino older adults are more likely to have higher rates of chronic illnesses, such as diabetes, than Caucasians. According to the California Health Surveys conducted in 2005 and 2007, 70% of older Latinos in Los Angeles are overweight or obese, close to 30% suffer from diabetes, and 55% have high blood pressure. These chronic illnesses can be reduced or prevented with healthier lifestyle choices. Several recommendations were made in the report to help reduce risk factors.
One recommendation is to ensure that illness information provided to patients and their caregivers is communicated in the primary language of the patient and is done in a culturally and an age-sensitive manner. The report also suggests that physical exercise should be encouraged through social activities in community centers and organizations. Making healthier foods available within the community would also promote healthier lifestyles.
The goal of LAP is to find programs and policies that effectively impact individual behavior and promote structural changes that will reduce health disparities for older adults. LAP provides a model for other local organizations nationwide that wish to address the risks of chronic disease and quality of life issues faced by older adults in their communities.
Source: University of Southern California Press Release. http://uscnews.usc.edu/health/guarding_the_health_of_elder_latinos.html.
Comments? Tell us what you think: askaia@matherlifeways.com
