National Consortium on Aging Resources for Seniors' Equity What Do We Do? Funded by the Administration on Community Living (ACL), the National Consortium on Aging Resources for Seniors' Equity works to decrease the prevalence of disparities among racial, ethnic minority and LGBT older adults, their families and caregivers, by providing technical assistance to the Aging Network.
Four Best Practices for Working with Diverse Older Adults
1. Adopt person-centered policies. Every older adult brings with them their racial, ethnic heritage, sexual orientation, gender identity, and unique individual history. Recognize that many diverse older adults have significant histories of trauma, discrimination,
Did You Know? LGBT older adults who are also racial and ethnic minorities will often face the highest levels of disparities, due to encountering racism, as well as anti-LGBT bias.
and stigma, which influence cultural identity. American Indian/Alaska Natives (AI/AN) include many distinct populations, representing 567 2. Commit to disaggregated data collection to inform planning, evaluation, and resource allocations. Prioritizing diversity requires a commitment to understanding the communities we serve. It is imperative that the Aging Network collect data on diverse populations to determine if programs are meeting goals and to identify areas for improvement.
federally recognized tribes, approximately 60 State recognized tribes, and scores who identify as AI/AN culturally, but are not members of an identified tribe. Many black immigrants are from English-speaking countries; however many immigrants experience language barriers and low-literacy levels particularly when it comes to using preventative healthcare services.
3. Build relationships with diverse communities. It is essential for diverse communities to be involved in
Half of the Hispanic population reads at an 8th
Aging Network planning. To develop trust and outreach
grade level or lower. Most health information is
to diverse populations, develop relationships with
written in an 11th to 12th grade level or higher.
trusted organizations/tribal communities. Nearly 60% of Asian Americans and 25% of Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders are LEP. 4. Provide language access. For many older adults, English is not their first language. Equitable access must be ensured by providing limited English proficient (LEP) older adults with in-language services, resources, and information.
More than 2 out of 3 Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Laotian, Hmong, Fijian, Marshallese, Nepalese, Taiwanese, Bangladeshi, and Burmese older adults are LEP.
National Consortium on Aging Resources for Seniors' Equity
Important Statistics Diverse older adults face disparities
1 in 5 older adults in the U.S. is a person of color or
3 out of 8 LGBT
American Indian/Alaska Native.
adults are older adults. 1
By 2040 it will be 1 out of 3. 1
because of discrimination; service barriers, such as language access; cultural issues; and exclusion within data collection and research. 1
1. Diverse Elders Coalition (2015). Diverse elders and the Older American's Act. http//:www.diverseelders.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Diverse-Elders-Coalition-OAA-Fact-Sheet.pdf
Where to Access Technical Assistance
National Resource Center on LGBT Aging www.lgbtagingcenter.org
National Indian Council on Aging, Inc. 505-292-2001 www.nicoa.org
Working with LGBT older adults
Working with American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) older adults
The National Caucus and Center on Black Aging Inc. (NCBA) 1220 L Street, Suite 800, Washington, DC 20005
Working with African American
Angie Boddie, Director of Health Programs
and Black older adults
202-637-8400 ext. 132, aboddie@ncba-aging.org
National Asian Pacific Center on Aging 206-624-1221 www.napca.org
Working with Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) older adults
Asociacion National Pro Personas Mayores 234 E. Colorado Blvd., Ste. 300, Pasadena, CA 91101 Dr. Carmela G. Lacayo, President/CEO
Working with Hispanic older adults
626-564-1988 office, 626-564-2659 fax www.ANPPM.org
This project was supported in part by grants from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects under government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official Administration for Community Living policy.