The Multiple Hazards Of Age And Race

In the United States, some populations suffer from far greater disparities in health than others. Those disparities are caused not only by fundamental differences in health status across segments of the population, but also because of inequities in factors that impact health status, so-called determinants of health. Only part of an individual's health status depends on his or her behavior and choice; community-wide problems like poverty, unemployment, poor education, inadequate housing, poor public transportation, interpersonal violence, and decaying neighborhoods also contribute to health inequities, as well as the historic and ongoing interplay of structures, policies, and norms that shape lives. When these factors are not optimal in a community, it does not mean they are intractable: such inequities can be mitigated by social policies that can shape health in powerful ways. Communities in Action: Pathways to Health Equity seeks to delineate the causes of and the solutions to health inequities in the United States. This report focuses on what communities can do to promote health equity, what actions are needed by the many and varied stakeholders that are part of communities or support them, as well as the root causes and structural barriers that need to be overcome.

Older Americans, even the oldest, can now expect to live years longer than those who reached the same ages even a few decades ago. Although survival has improved for all racial and ethnic groups, strong differences persist, both in life expectancy and in the causes of disability and death at older ages. This book examines trends in mortality rates and selected causes of disability (cardiovascular disease, dementia) for older people of different racial and ethnic groups. The determinants of these trends and differences are also investigated, including differences in access to health care and experiences in early life, diet, health behaviors, genetic background, social class, wealth and income. Groups often neglected in analyses of national data, such as the elderly Hispanic and Asian Americans of different origin and immigrant generations, are compared. The volume provides understanding of research bearing on the health status and survival of the fastest-growing segment of the American population.

Find out how housing options for the elderly are changing—and not always for the better To maintain or improve their quality of life, many seniors in the United States will move to new locations and into new types of housing. Housing for the Elderly addresses the key aspects of the transitions they’ll face, examines how housing programs can help, and looks at the role social workers can play to ensure they remain healthy, happy, and productive as they age. Housing for the Elderly provides the tools to build a comprehensive understanding of how housing is changing to support the growing number of elderly persons in the United States. This unique resource examines a full range of housing options, including assisted-living communities, elder friendly communities, and homelessness; looks at the effects of the Olmstead Decision of 1999, which requires states to place persons with disabilities in community settings rather than in institutions; and summarizes current research on Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORCs). The book also presents a historical perspective of housing issues for the elderly, with a special focus on the discrimination of African-Americans. Topics in Housing for the Elderly include: creating elder friendly communities homelessness among the elderly in Toronto housing disparities for older Puerto Ricans in the United States grandparent caregiver housing programs how the Olmstead Decision affects the elderly, social workers, and health care providers New York State’s experience with NORCs relocation concerns of people living in NORCs the integration of services for the elderly into housing settings-particularly low-income housing moving from a nursing home to an assisted-living facility assisted-living and Medicaid and much more! Housing for the Elderly is an essential resource for social work practitioners, administrators, researchers, and academics who deal with the elderly.