Caregiver and Elder Experiences of Cambodian, Vietnamese, Soviet Jewish, and Ukrainian Refugees

Abstract

Our purpose was to describe and compare Cambodian, Vietnamese, Soviet Jewish, and Ukrainian refugee caregivers and elders on life experiences, health status, and knowledge of available services. Detailed interviews were conducted with 105 female caregivers and 52 elders. Similar patterns emerged across all groups with regard to filial obligation, minimal knowledge of services, impact of immigration, and retention of cultural ties. Findings confirmed the special health and social service needs of refugee families in transition.

Mental Health of Immigrants and Refugees

“…This approach includes the use of mental health services based in schools and community agencies (Fazel & Stein, 2002) as well as community screening and preventive programs (Kataoka et al, 2003;Kennedy, Seymour, & Hummel, 1999;Palinkas et al, 2003). A similar communitybased and naturalistic approach may be necessary to met the challenges of providing mental health services for elder immigrants, especially in the context of traditions of family caregiving conflicting with changing family structure and cohesion (Strumpf, Glicksman, Goldberg-Glen, Fox, & Logue 2001).…”

Breast self-examination practices among women from six ethnic groups and the influence of cancer worry

“…It has been found that many Eastern Europeans tend to have universal and inexpensive access to health services in their native countries [23,65] and tend to utilize health services in a pattern similar to that used in their native countries [64]. Thus, an Eastern European woman who is used to physician-administered services for screening may seek to utilize that method (regardless of the fact that such access in the US is limited), and engage in lower frequencies of self-administered preventive practices.…”

Evaluating the SF-36 Health Survey (Version 2) in Older Vietnamese Americans

“…Some studies have documented that older Vietnamese refugees have more adjustment and language acculturation problems than their younger counterparts (Strumpf, Glicksman, Goldberg-Glen, Fox, & Logue, 2001;Tran, 1990). Many elders reported a sense of loss and dislocation, along with feelings of linguistic and cultural isolation from mainstream American society (Strumpf et al, 2001).…”

“…Many elders reported a sense of loss and dislocation, along with feelings of linguistic and cultural isolation from mainstream American society (Strumpf et al, 2001). There are little data on their health-related quality of life (HRQOL).…”