By Bevi Kothare, Director of Customer Operations
January 2019
America, the land of endless opportunity, but is it for all? Do a quick internet search on immigrants that are seniors, and you will be flooded with health or disease related resources and services – and that is it. You will have to dig deep to look for resources that aren’t health related.
With families from all over the world immigrating to the United States, they often
bring with them their parents, grandparents or other older relatives. We pride
ourselves in being a melting pot of cultures, yet those that hold the most culture from other countries are often confined in the home, with little to no access to the community. At the same time, we are faced with the foreign graying of America. The US Census states in 2015, 15% of all adults over 60 were foreign born. In certain states this number skyrockets, with New York having over 46% foreign born seniors, and 1 in every 3 older adults in California being of foreign origin.
With such staggering numbers, it’s alarming to see that the resources just don’t pan up. Community centers, places of worship and libraries offer some inclusive programs, however, many of these are aimed towards younger generations or are difficult to get to. Seniors that come from other countries often don’t drive and rely on family members for transport, or the ones that came here in their youth, have retired and feel the often don’t belong in the same ‘bucket’ as those that came here at a later age.
Nursing homes, assisted living facilities and senior centers usually have programs that are aimed towards ‘American’ born seniors. This category of seniors are born, raised, and worked here in the United States for most of their life. They often had jobs with retirement plans, pension, and have some type of healthcare insurance. They grew up in the community they are now retired in, and speak the same language.They often still drive, or are able to navigate public transport independently.This is a stark difference than their foreign counterparts.
Seniors who have immigrated at a later age, are often the caretakers of young kids, live in a intergenerational house, and rely on their children for many of their needs. They may face language barriers, discrimination or simply don’t know where to go for services.
How do we bridge the gap between seniors? It’s time we look at the services and resources themselves. Services and resources should be designed or reimagined thinking of ethnic and culture barriers. Language, transportation, cultural beliefs, and financial hardship should all be considered during the creation. Most importantly, they need to serve the entire senior population, instead of causing a more distinct contrast between immigrant seniors and their counterparts.