|
National Hispanic Council on Aging (NHCoA)
The National Hispanic Council on Aging (NHCoA), a “network of networks,” whose chapters and affiliates across the country are dedicated to improving the quality of life for elders, their families and communities, has been conducting culturally specific outreach in elder abuse since 1994, when it launched an initiative to raise awareness about domestic violence. As part of that effort, NHCoA assembled an advisory group, most of whose members were elderly Nicaraguan and Salvadorian women who had come to the States during the civil wars in their countries. Their aim was to enlist the support of local organizations, businesses, churches and families in raising awareness. Discovering that denial about violence was widespread, the group decided to take a different approach: celebrating elders. Intergenerational events were conducted, during which speakers emphasized the community's respect for elders while also raising the issue of domestic violence. Other activities included the production of a 15-minute video in which seniors described their experiences coming to and residing in the United States; for some, abuse was part of that experience. The video has been distributed to churches and schools.
More recently, NHCoA has focused attention on warning seniors about financial abuse. Among the challenges encountered are seniors' reluctant to report abuse to law enforcement. Elderly parents are also often unwilling to ask abusive adult children to move out of their homes because of their strong commitment to preserving families. Those who do seek help are likely to encounter barriers to access including the small number of service providers who speak Spanish and agency biases against helping immigrants. Widespread health problems also increase elders' vulnerability and access to services.
NHCOA has developed a variety of approaches to meet these challenges. These include emphasizing prevention and encouraging families to get involved. Rather than addressing abuse as a separate issue, NHCoA takes a holistic approach, which includes discussions about elder abuse in health education materials and presentations. The organization has attempted to get churches involved with mixed results. Some have helped disseminate information through newsletters and other publications and provided space for events, while others have shied away from getting involved in social issues.
Outreach materials that have been produced to raise awareness about financial abuse include a video, which was produced in collaboration with NHCoA's Corpus Christy affiliate. It features the former governor of New Mexico, Harry Apadoca, and actress Lupita Tobar who discuss fraud and instruct seniors in how to defend themselves.
|
Tips by Marta Sotomayor, PhD, Director, National Hispanic Council on Aging
- To reach our elders, you have to engage in conversation and establish relationships of trust. That means talking to people individually about their daily lives and their relationships with family members.
- We need to raise awareness among professionals about the subtle symptoms of abuse, such as depression and other behavioral signs such as how they dress and speak.
- We also need to recognize the diversity within the Hispanic population and the fact that the makeup of the community is changing.
|
|