Cognitive screening tools for dementia have often shown a cultural bias. Although in the preliminary stages of research, the Rowland Universal Dementia Assessment Scale (RUDAS) (Storey, Rowland, Conforti, & Dickson, 2004) has recently shown promise. It obtains high sensitivities and specificities, does not appear susceptible to the effects of translation, and appears applicable in a multicultural setting. Therefore; the aim of the current research was to examine further the performance of the RUDAS in an ethnolinguistically diverse sample. Archival data consisting of scores on the RUDAS and on a comprehensive test battery was gathered from 64 neuropsychological referrals to an Australian health service from 2002-2006. The majority (83%) of these referrals were from a non-English speaking background and were tested in their preferred language. The RUDAS was found to be a fairly cohesive measure, and domain subscales were strongly correlated with corresponding scores on other neuropsychological tests indicating accurate performance. Although moderately predictive of diagnoses of dementia and cognitive decline (obtaining sensitivities of 71% and 62% respectively) the RUDAS lacked specificity, a finding which may be attributed to the prevalence of mild cognitive impairment in the sample. The RUDAS fullscale score was found resilient to age, gender, English language proficiency and education effects; however subscale scores were differentially affected, perhaps indicating a tendency towards bias. Overall, this study suggests that the RUDAS is a useful screening instrument in an ethnolinguistically diverse clinical population. / Thesis (MPsychology)--University of South Australia, 2006.

This study attempts to understand the issues and challenges related to healthy aging faced by Chinese seniors who are living in a cultural and social context different from their home countries. Using an ecosystems perspective, the study focuses on exploring three major components in seniors’ lives: health, social capital, and residential environment, and then analyzing the interactions among the components. A convergent parallel mixed methods design was used in this study. A survey was conducted with seniors in Winnipeg Chinese communities to collect quantitative data on health (SF-36) and social capital (views of community, trust and reciprocity, civil participation, social networks and social support, and social participation), and focus group interviews were conducted to collect qualitative data on social capital and residential environment. One hundred and one respondents were interviewed in person to fill out the questionnaire and 43 seniors participated in focus group interviews. PASW 18 (SPSS) and NVivo 8 were applied to analyzed quantitative and qualitative data respectively. Descriptive and bi-variate statistics, a comparison of Winnipeg sample data and general Chinese-Canadian seniors data, and qualitative findings are presented to describe the research target group’s demographics, health conditions, social capital, and residential environmental issues. Overall, Winnipeg Chinese seniors enjoy moderate health; but many of them reported different levels and types of difficulties they had experienced with health care and health care support services. Both quantitative and qualitative data demonstrate the level of low social capital among Chinese Seniors in Winnipeg. The quantitative data reveal some correlations between social capital factors and Chinese seniors’ health conditions, among which the most significant is that social capital likely has effects on female Chinese seniors’ mental health and male Chinese seniors’ physical health. In particular, the level of social networks and social support was positively correlated with older Chinese women’s mental health. The environments in which these seniors lived appeared to have hindered or triggered them in building or increasing their social capital. For example, those who had acquired less support from their immediate micro environment – family – tended to be more motivated to extend their social connections in a larger environment in order to obtain resources for problem-solving. Cultural influence and health care support services were critical factors in Chinese seniors’ considerations and expectations of a residential environment. In contrast to traditional Chinese cultural norms of an inter-dependent living arrangement, the majority of Chinese seniors preferred to live in separate households from their adult children. Another important finding is that a cultural- and linguistic-homogeneous residential environment does not necessarily provide positive support to Chinese seniors for their acquisition of social capital. Upon further analysis of social capital and its relationships with health and residential environments, the study offers implications from research findings to social work practice, integrating cross-cultural considerations. The study concludes with an analysis of limitations as well as suggestions for recommendations for future research. / May 2015

Thesis advisor: James Lubben / It has been shown that the effect of social networks and social support systems on health may be greater among immigrants who live away from their homeland and their natural social support systems. Despite the significance of social support systems, relevant research on minorities in the U.S. is limited. For this reason, the current cross-cultural study examined the pathways underlying different formations of social networks (kin vs. non-kin) and social support systems (emotional vs. instrumental), which affect depression symptoms and perceived general health among older Korean immigrants and non-Hispanic Caucasians in the United States. This analysis is based on the secondary data from the "Korean-American Elderly: Social Supports and Long-Term Care" study conducted in 1994. The data (n=424) were collected from non-Hispanic White Americans (n=201) and Korean immigrant elders (n=223) aged 65 and older residing in Southern California. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the proposed conceptual model designed to explain the direct and indirect relationships between social networks and social support on health outcomes. Empirical evidence from this study indicated different effect of one's social networks and social support on health by race/ethnicity. The result indicated that both kin and non-kin networks provided social support for Korean immigrants. Moreover, among social network measures, non-kin networks had a greater effect on social support for older Korean immigrants compared to kin networks. For non-Hispanic Caucasians, on the other hand, only kin network had a significant effect on social support systems. In addition, receiving instrumental support lowered the perceived general health among older non-Hispanic Caucasians. The work discussed in this paper pointed to the need to recognize the role of culture in assessing the effect of one's social networks and social support systems on health. This paper highlighted the characteristics of those older Korean-American and older non-Hispanic Caucasians who are most, as well as, least likely to benefit from social networks and social support systems. By utilizing the existing social networks and social support of diverse populations, we can improve overall health outcomes and serve the elderly community better. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2013. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Social Work. / Discipline: Social Work.

Denna studie syftade till att öka förståelsen för hur mottagandet av äldre invandrare kan upplevas i en svensk medelstor kommun. Frågeställningarna rörde hur företrädare för invandrades egna organisationer och yrkesverksamma uppfattar att mottagandet fungerar. För att undersöka detta har dokument rörande mottagandet av invandrare i kommunen undersökts. Företrädare för tre olika invandrarorganisationer har intervjuats enskilt och tre yrkesverksamma kommunala tjänstemän har deltagit i en fokusgruppsintervju i ämnet. Med hjälp av Aaron Antonovskys individteori känsla av sammanhang (KASAM), Roine Johanssons organisationsteori och Berth Danermarks tankar om samverkan har materialet analyserats hermeneutiskt. Studiens resultat visade att ingen särskild planering görs för att ta emot äldre invandrare. Både företrädarna för invandrarorganisationerna och de yrkesverksamma var kritiska till mottagandet i kommunen. Kritiken rörde bristen på planering och samarbete mellan organisationer som möter invandrare. Särskilt påpekades vikten av att tillvarata kunskaper från integrerade landsmän för att skapa förståelse för kulturella skillnader. / The purpose of this study was to enhance the understanding of how the reception of older immigrants can be perceived in a swedish medium-sized municipality. The questions asked was how representatives from immigrant associations and municipality officials looked upon the reception. To investigate this have documents concerning the reception of immigrants been analysed. Representatives from three immigrant associations have been interviewed, and three municipality officials partook in a focusgroupinterview. Theories used to analyze the material were Aaron Antonovskys theory sense of coherence (KASAM), Roine Johanssons organisational theory and Berth Danermarks thoughts on cooperation. The result from the study indicated that no special planning is made for the reception of older immigrants. Both the representatives and the officials were critical of the reception. The criticism concerned the lack of planning and cooperation between organisations that meet immigrants. The importance of using the knowledge from integrated countrymen was stressed to create understanding for cultural differences.

Dagens samhälle blir allt mer mångkulturellt. Det ställer högre krav på både omvårdnaden och sjuksköterskan. Sjuksköterskans eventuella brist på kompetens om kulturskillnader kan skapa kulturkrockar, missförstånd och felaktig omvårdnad. Syftet med studien var att undersöka vilka förväntningar äldre invandrare från förre detta Jugoslavien har i möten med sjuksköterskan i Sverige samt hur sjuksköterskans kompetens kan skiljas från undersköterskor, sjukgymnaster och arbetsterapeuter. Metod: Studien är kvalitativ med en induktiv ansats och baseras på sex intervjuer med äldre invandrare som ursprungligen kom från fd. Jugoslavien. Personlig kontakt togs med informanterna om deltagande i undersökningen genom serbiska/bosniska/kroatiska/makedoniska. Författaren informerade om studien och att de som ville delta kontaktade författaren. Insamlat material analyserades systematiskt med innehållsanalys. Resultat: Det som framkom att de äldre invandrarna förväntade sig i mötet med sjuksköterskan presenteras i följande fem kategorier; Att få bekräftelse för uttalade behov; Empatisk kontakt; Kommunikation och dialog i mötet; Respekt för sina värderingar och syn på hälsa och Trygghet. Slutsatsen: omvårdnad av äldre patienter med en annan kulturell bakgrund kräver båda kulturell kompetens och professionellt förhållningssätt. Sjuksköterskan behöver kunna identifiera patientens vårdbehov och i detta fallet även övergå de språkliga barriärer och nå patienten och förstå deras behov. / Today's society is becoming increasingly multicultural which places greater demands on both the care system and the nurses involved. The nurses’ lack of knowledge incompetence of various regarding eventual cultural differences can create cultural clashes and misunderstandings that can result in and improper care. The purpose of this study was to investigate the expectations of the elder immigrants, from the former Yugoslavia, when meeting in their meetings with the nurses in Sweden professionally, Method: The study is a qualitative study, with an inductive approach, and is based on six interviews with elderly immigrants who originally came from the former Yugoslavia. Personal contact was made with the informants to participate in the investigation by Serbian / Bosnian / Croatian / Macedonian associations in southern Sweden where these compounds are. The author went to the unions and informed about the study and those who wanted to participate contacted the author. The collected materials were systematically analysed with using content analysis. Results The findings that the older immigrants expecting the meeting with the nurse are presented in the following five categories. To obtain confirmation of the expressed needs, Empathetic contact, Communication and dialogue in the meeting, Respect for their values and views on health and Safety. Conclusion: The care of older patients with a different cultural background requires both cultural competence and a professional approach. The nurses need to be able to identify patient care needs, and in this special situation case be able to cope with even pass the eventual language barriers, in order to and reach the patient and understand their needs.

During the last fifty years, family life has noticeably changed in industrialized countries. Among many changes, it appears that there is a shift from a "family dominated" society to a more "individualistic" society where the concept of family loses its importance, family ties weakens, and elders lose their essential roles within the family because the continuity between generations in respect to family traditions and values is stopped. Ethnic-elders have different expectations from their family members based on their ethnic-identity, family values, and the extent of their acculturation. These value differences might also influence the accessibility and provision of psycho-social services. Therefore, the purpose of the present cross-cultural study was to understand and compare different ethnic-elders' expectations from their family members and from psychosocial service providers based on their concept of perception of family values. An instrument was designed for this study implementing a 4 point-scale and vignettes. Data were collected from seniors from South Asian (Sri-Lanka), Korean, Hungarian and Jewish communities and from a group of Social Worker (N = 94). Significant differences were found between group values: overall the Social Worker group was the most individualistic/non-traditional with the Jewish group next; the South Asians and Koreans were the most family-oriented/traditional; and these attitudes were the most different from those of the Social Workers. These particularities have important implications for the delivery of social services.

Thesis (M.G.S.)--Miami University, Dept. of Sociology and Gerontology, 2005. / Title from first page of PDF document. Document formatted into pages; contains [1], iii, 43 p. Includes bibliographical references (p. 36-37).

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität Zürich, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 282-291).

abstract: This dissertation explored how immigrants cope with and thrive in old age by utilizing social networks, and the hindrances which may prevent this. Through ethnographic fieldwork and in-depth interviews at two senior centers in Phoenix, Arizona with a high concentration of an ethnic minority group - Asian and Latino, I describe what makes the Asian dominant center more resource abundant than its Latino counterpart given prevalent tight public funding. Both centers have a large number of seniors disenfranchised from mainstream institutions who bond together via similar experiences resulting from shared countries/regions of origin, language, and migration experience. The Asian center, however, is more successful in generating and circulating resources through "bonding" and "bridging" older immigrants who, therefore benefit more from their center affiliation than the Latinos at their center. The abundance of resources at the Asian center flowing to the social networks of seniors are attributed to three factors: work and volunteer engagement and history, the organization of the center, and individual activities. At both centers seniors bond with each other due to shared ethnicity, language, and migration experience and share information and companionship in the language in which they feel most comfortable. What differentiated the two centers were the presence of several people well connected to individuals, groups, and institutions beyond the affiliated center. The presence of these "bridges" were critical when the centers were faced with budgetary constraints and Arizona was experiencing the effect of ongoing immigration policies. These "bridges" tend to come from shared ethnicity, and better social positions due to cumulative factors which include but are not limited to higher education, professional occupation, and work and volunteer history. I have also presented cases of individuals who, although have developed expertise from past work experiences and individual activities, have limited contribution to the resource flow because of the differences in ethnicity. The study also explored a gendered life course and its impact on the social network for older Asian and Latino immigrants. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Sociology 2014

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