Perceptions of Dementia, Caregiving, and Help Seeking among Asian and Pacific Islander Americans

Abstract

The United States is becoming more ethnically diverse, and Asian and Pacific Islanders (APIs) are one of the most rapidly growing ethnic minority groups. Of interest to social workers is how the traditional values and practices of these cultures affect their perceptions of disease and use of health services. This article presents information on perceptions of dementia, caregiving, and help seeking for the API group as a whole, with additional information on five of the major API subgroups--Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Vietnamese, and Hawaiian. Implications for practice, policy, and research are discussed.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities Among Individuals with Alzheimer’s Disease in the United States: A Literature Review

“…Quality of care is related to cultural competence and diversity among health care providers (Daker-White, Beattie, Gilliard, & Means, 2002) When service providers are matched to dementia clients according to ethnicity and language, patient outcomes may be improved (Braun & Browne, 1998). Similarly, training staff in cultural awareness and sensitivity and conducting language-appropriate cognitive testing may help address some disparities (Daker-White et al, 2002).…”

Elder Abuse And Dementia: A Review Of The Research And Health Policy

“…Typically, Asian cultures consider cognitive impairment to be a type of mental illness, while African and Hispanic cultures tend to perceive the decline of cognitive function as a normal part of the aging process. 13,14 In Asian cultures, families are often the primary caregivers for older adults with dementia, and long-term care facilities are often the last resort. 15 Thus, cultural perceptions may also affect the reporting of elder abuse.…”

The Mental Health of Filipino-Born Women 5 and 14 Years after they have given Birth in Australia: A Longitudinal Study

“…In the United States and Hawaii, a long history of migration from the Philippines has attracted labourers and their families for almost a century (Braun and Browne 1998). In Hong Kong and Japan, Filipino women have traditionally migrated as domestic workers (Hoiroyd et a).…”

“…In these countries, research on the mental health of this community group is varied (Bagley et at. 1997;Braun and Browne 1998;Cimmarusti 1996;Holroyd et al 2001;Ohara Hirano 2000). Some of the common findings of these studies suggest that mental health problems amongst Filipino migrant women are more prevalent when social and family networks are poor, and that a negative perception of mental health problems in the Philippines inhibits timely access to mental health services (Bagley et al 1997;Braun and Browne 1998;Holroyd etal.…”

“…1997;Braun and Browne 1998;Cimmarusti 1996;Holroyd et al 2001;Ohara Hirano 2000). Some of the common findings of these studies suggest that mental health problems amongst Filipino migrant women are more prevalent when social and family networks are poor, and that a negative perception of mental health problems in the Philippines inhibits timely access to mental health services (Bagley et al 1997;Braun and Browne 1998;Holroyd etal. 2001), On the other hand, social support networks have been found to be positively associated with the development of good coping skills amongst Filipino migrants (Bagley et at.…”