HISPANIC-AMERICAN ELDERS - IMPLICATIONS FOR HEALTH-CARE PROVIDERS

American health care providers now treat a rapidly growing population of Hispanic American elders. This group shares certain cultural linkag es but is comprised of diverse subgroups, including Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Cuban Americans, and other Latin Americans. Significan t socioeconomic, cultural, and language barriers are encountered in pr oviding care to these patients. Keys to optimal patient care include s ensitivity to Hispanic American social dynamics, appreciation of cultu ral-bound syndromes, and overcoming the language barrier. Understandin g the ethnic complexity of Hispanic American subgroups helps eliminate stereotypical thinking and allows development of cultural insights th at strengthen and enrich the provider-patient relationship.