Issues of Disability, Caregiving, and Long-term Care Policy
Latinos, especially those of Mexican ancestry, are re-shaping the demographic composition of the United States. Latinos are the fastest growing demographic group in the country and, at the dawn of the 21st century, became the nation’s largest minority category. What is unclear is how social, biological, and behavioral factors work in concert to create unique patterns of aging for this underserved and understudied ethnic group. As the Latino population ages, the health and well-being of this group is a critical public policy concern.
This vital conference called “Issues of Disability, Caregiving, and Long-term Care Policy” will provide the opportunity for scientists involved in the study of Latino health and aging to set the research agenda on a large and growing segment of the US population that has been long overlooked. Keynote presenters include: Dr. Eduardo Sanchez, Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of the Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Texas, as the After Dinner Speaker; Dr. William Vega, Executive Director of the Edward R. Roybal Institute on Aging, University of Southern California, who will open the conference; Dr. Emily Agree, Director of the John Hopkins Center for Population Aging and Health, as the Luncheon Keynote Speaker; and Dr. Fernando Torres-Gil, Director of the Center for Policy Research on Aging, University of California, Los Angeles, who will deliver the closing ICAA address.
The 2010 International Conference on Aging in the Americas will have a poster session organized by Dr. Terrence Hill, from Florida State University, which brings together emerging scholars’ work that demonstrates how social, psychological, and biological factors profoundly impact the health and long-term care of Latino people in late life. Health disparities are complex and multifaceted. Thus, organizers hope to begin an interdisciplinary discussion of the unique situational factors and cultural behaviors that interact to impact the health and functioning of aging Mexican Americans. Research along these lines will inform specific public health interventions related to disease prevention and ultimately inform public policy decisions that will protect the health of aging Latinos.
An issue brief written by Anna Kate Moen provides a brief overview of the topics discussed at the fourth conference in 2010.
Program/Schedule
The 2010 conference program is available to download here.
Conference Summary Report
For the 2009- 2010 National Alliance Hispanic Health Report, click here.
Book
The full 2010 ICAA – 2012 edited collection, “Aging, Health and Longevity in the Mexican-Origin Population”, is also available for purchase here.
Highlights
Selected highlights of the 2010 conference are available for download in PDF format here.
Presentations
To view the list of 2010 conference speakers and see their presentations and/or abstracts, click here.