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This dissertation aims to examine racial and ethnic inequities in nursing home (NH) palliative care services and potentially avoidable hospitalizations at the end of life. Health disparities are pervasive in NHs, but disparities in NH end-of-life care (i.e. palliative care services, hospital transfers) have not been comprehensively examined. Chapter One provides an overview of this dissertation, which explores inequities in nursing home end-of-life care. Chapter Two is a systematic review that synthesized the current state of the science in racial and ethnic disparities in NH end-of-life care. Chapter Three was designed to describe palliative care services in U.S. NHs and associations with differences in the concentrations of Black and Hispanic residents, respectively, and the impact by region. Chapter Four is an analysis of racial and ethnic differences in NH potentially avoidable hospitalization incidence rates. Finally, Chapter Five is a synthesis of this body of work. It contains a summary of findings of this dissertation, a discussion of the results, practice and policy implications, and directions for future research.

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) are located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, approximately fifteen miles south of Washington, D.C. This school system is the tenth largest in the United States and it has a student population of approximately 130,000. Because of the size of the FCPS system, it is divided into four administrative areas-Area I, Area II, Area III and Area IV. Area II of FCPS has a student population of approximately 26,000 students, and of those 26,000 students, approximately 9 percent of them are of Hispanic origin. This English as a Second Language (ESL) population is of special interest to the school system because these students often do not possess the communication skills necessary for matriculation/ graduation. Therefore, their academic performance is frequently below average. This poses problems and raises concern for the educators that serve them. As a part of FCPS' minority achievement program, which began in 1983, an Area II staff member initiated a two-part training program entitled, "Intensive Spanish for Educators" patterned on a similar program used with Arlington County, Virginia educators. The program carries university credit and provides a forum for the presentation of oral and aural Spanish language skills, as they relate to relevant school situations and Hispanic cultural awareness. Based on the perceptions of the program participants, this dissertation represents an evaluation of the "Intensive Spanish for Educators" program, utilizing information obtained from on-site observations of class sessions, examination of planning documents/proposals/syllabi/etc., interviews with the program administrator/coordinators, program trainers and randomly selected program participants, and a questionnaire. The results of this evaluative study indicated that the Intensive Spanish for Educators training program is a worthwhile and valuable program because it provides the opportunity for teachers, pupil personnel staff and administrators to acquire knowledge and skills in an area that can be used on a daily basis, it is well planned and it is sanctioned by the Area II Superintendent. The participants were enthusiastic about being in the program and felt the program should be strongly recommended, but not made mandatory. / Ed. D.

The purpose of this study was to identify and understand Hispanic students' perceptions of the influences on their success at a community college. Using a qualitative design, six students were interviewed in depth in order to gain insight and perspective of their educational experience at the community college. The investigation explored each student's decision to enroll at the community college and sought to describe factors that the participants identified as having impacted their experiences at the community college, including their perceptions of themselves and their families. The study also explored the programs and practices that are in place in the community college that may influence these students' academic success. Finally, the relationship between the Hispanic students' perceptions about their academic successes and the community college's employees' perceptions were examined. Tinto's (1975) model of student integration theory provided the theoretical framework for data collection and analysis. The major analytical categories that were developed during data analysis were as follows : other academic experiences ; motivation to succeed, both internal and external ; issues of ethnicity ; issues of age ; and issues of family. The students' perceptions of their community college experiences were both positive and critical. / by Karin Lynn St. Pierre. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2011. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2011. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

The purpose of this study was to examine the expectations of African American and Hispanic males in a for-profit university (TTU). This study specifically explored student perception of the retention efforts of faculty, staff, policies, procedures and services within the institutional environment. It further examined how these experiences promoted or impeded the African American or Hispanic male's persistence to graduation. The higher education institution is identified as TTU throughout this study. It is a commuter university established in the early 1900s. A qualitative case study approach was used and two campus sites were selected. Data collection included interviews of 19 students, along with 2 faculty (identified by students), as well as document analysis, and various on site observations at each campus. The data were then transcribed, coded, and analyzed to ascertain the overall views and perceptions of the participants. / by Carole Comarcho. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2009. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2009. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

The study focused on the attitudes and beliefs regarding perceived and actual burden experienced by Latino caregivers and their use of formal support services. It also looked at the needs of Latino caregivers and explored their beliefs about why they had taken on the caregiver role, the responsibilities the role entailed, and coping skills used by these caregivers. Participants were obtained from two Alzheimer's caregiver support groups in the East Los Angeles area, and an adult day health care center in the high desert area of San Bernardino county. The author used both qualitative interviews and quantitative questionnaires. The findings suggest that high beliefs about responsibility to the family and low levels of service use may contribute to the stress and strain that these caregivers feel. Latino caregivers have been providing a significant amount of care without the help of sufficient formal services. Recommendations for social work practice, policy and further research are provided. Statistics for the study were generated by using SPSS Graduate Pack 13 for Windows.

This study explores the experiences of Hispanic grandmothers who are parenting a second time around. This study looked at the strengths, needs, services, within their kinship arrangements. Child welfare workers could gain an in-depth understanding in cultural context that could influence their practice and service delivery.