An ethnographic study of a day care center for Iranian immigrant seniors

Late-in-life immigrants are often at risk for psychological stress and soci al isolation because of language problems, small social networks, and cultu ral differences from the host society. Community intervention programs can reduce such stress and isolation. In this article, the authors describe a S wedish municipality's culturally appropriate intervention program for elder ly Iranian immigrants based on ethnographic data gathered during a 12 month period The description includes the activities provided by the program and the experiences of the elderly Iranian immigrants who participate regularl y in these activities. The findings document the positive impact of regular participation in the center's activities on the elders' well-being and hea lth.