preview

Hispanic Elderly Population

Decent Essays

There has always been talk of the thousands of Latinos / Hispanics who do not yet have access to health, or living below poverty. However, there is a group of them that suffers from the lack of notoriety: the elderly and the older adults. According to data from the
United States Census Bureau, the population over 65 years old has increased from 35.9 million in 2003 to 46.2 million in 2014. This represents an increase of 29%.The Hispanic elderly population, although still a relatively small group among those over 65 is the group that is growing faster within future retirees. By 2050, Hispanics will account for 20 percent of the aging population, well above the 7.5 percent they represented in 2014.
This will entail multiple problems, …show more content…

Documented and undocumented elders are basically in the same boat.

According to statistics from the National Retirement Institute, 43% elders Latinos depend entirely on social security in retirement, and that four out of five Hispanic households have less than $ 10,000 in retirement savings. While undocumented immigrants are categorically ineligible for US benefits, many immigrants who are legally resident do not have enough years of documented work to qualify for eligibility. And this is compounded by the great difficulty of getting a job for the elderly, and those who have a job live with the fear of losing it, since there are a hundred young Latinos in a row who would be willing to do the same work for less salary.

Another disadvantage of Latino elders is the language barrier, and the difficulty of adapting to a new culture compared to younger immigrants. This prevents them …show more content…

According to research by the USC Edward R. Roybal Institute on Aging, more than half a million Latino elderly suffer from Alzheimer's disease, this research indicates that this disease has been affecting the elders Latino population in the United States at a high rate; even though that the appearance of symptoms is much greater in Latinos than any other ethnic group ,they are the least received the diagnosis due to the lack of medical services, and preventive medicine, and in occasions because of lack of knowledge. For the majority of
Latinos these symptoms, such as the disorientation, and forgetting things are part of the natural process of aging. This same study also reveals that the presence of Alzheimer's in Latino elders will increase by 836% by 2060. For Latino families these challenges add more to the challenges that they already face, because they have fewer resources in terms of income, and retirement benefits. According to study projections, the direct and indirect economic impact of the disease in the Latino community will reach 105.5 million dollars in 2060 and will cost the country 2.35 billion dollars. Latino elders will form

Get Access