Working to Improve the Lives of Hispanic Older Adults, Their Families, and Their Communities Working to Improve the Lives of Hispanic Older Adults, their Families, and Caregivers Volunteerism in the Hispanic Community August, 2010 National Hispanic Council on Aging National Hispanic Council on Aging

Working to Improve the Lives of Hispanic Older Adults, Their Families, and Their Communities In our Session Today…  NHSMP’s Update  Needs assessments FL and DC  Volunteerism in the Hispanic/Latino community Working to Improve the Lives of Hispanic Older Adults, their Families, and Caregivers

Working to Improve the Lives of Hispanic Older Adults, Their Families, and Their Communities DC TX RGV CA FL NHSMP Community Challenges Medicare Fraud is widespread in the Hispanic older adult community - Language barriers - Lack of knowledge - Fear and Isolation - A Disconnect between agencies and beneficiaries Goal: Create a Strong National Outreach & Education Campaign to prevent Medicare fraud among the Hispanic older adult community NY National Hispanic National Hispanic

Working to Improve the Lives of Hispanic Older Adults, Their Families, and Their Communities The most common types of fraud or abuse were double billing for services already paid by Medicare or billing for services that were never performed. Sending unsolicited medical equipment (i.e. diabetes shoes, eye glasses) Most of the fraud cases are perpetrated through unsolicited house visits and/or calls by salespeople There is a lack of information available on Medicare fraud in Spanish. Working to Improve the Lives of Hispanic Older Adults, their Families, and Caregivers Needs Assessment Findings District of Columbia Needs Assessment Findings District of Columbia

Working to Improve the Lives of Hispanic Older Adults, Their Families, and Their Communities The most common types of fraud or abuse were double billing for services already paid by Medicare or billing for services that were never performed. Providing patients with extra services (manicure, pedicure) to keep them enrolled in a specific medical center. Providing non-medical products (i.e. fans, pans, etc.) with the Medicare card Giving bonuses to patients to keep them enrolled in a specific medical center Most of the fraud cases are perpetrated through calls by salespeople There is a dearth of information available on Medicare fraud in Spanish. Almost all Hispanic older adults who participated in the assessment said that they had not seen any information available on Medicare fraud in Spanish. They did not know of any organization where they can call to report fraud in Spanish. Working to Improve the Lives of Hispanic Older Adults, their Families, and Caregivers Needs Assessment Findings Florida

Working to Improve the Lives of Hispanic Older Adults, Their Families, and Their Communities IN THE LATINO COMMUNITY Volunteerism Working to Improve the Lives of Hispanic Older Adults, their Families, and Caregivers

Working to Improve the Lives of Hispanic Older Adults, Their Families, and Their Communities ):  Familismo (Familism): The concept reflects the importance of the family at all levels  Fatalismo ():  Fatalismo (Fatalism): Control over what happened- and will happen-has an external locus Latino/Hispanic Characteristics

Working to Improve the Lives of Hispanic Older Adults, Their Families, and Their Communities Respeto (Respect): based on age, experience, or service Personalismo (Personalism): relationship with the individual rather than with the institution  Plática : friendly conversation  Confianza Mutua : mutual trust Latino/Hispanic Characteristics

Working to Improve the Lives of Hispanic Older Adults, Their Families, and Their Communities Historic Roots Come from systems where governments and churches are responsible for providing the majority of social services Culture-specific values such familismo and collectivism have a strong impact in shaping Hispanic models of volunteering Voluntary actions are far more personalized and informal and less institutionalized than those of mainstream Working to Improve the Lives of Hispanic Older Adults, their Families, and Caregivers

Working to Improve the Lives of Hispanic Older Adults, Their Families, and Their Communities Strong religious-cultural traditions have been a mainstay of Latino communities Faith-based networks have provided a variety of informal and formal mutual aid services for established and recent immigrant Latino families What is least understood by mainstream institutions, is the multiplicity of financial and economic survival activities that occur informally among Latino community members when specific family ‘crises’ arise Latino help networks display entrenched bicultural/bilingual traditions, enduring and deep trust relationships and mutual reciprocity behaviors Working to Improve the Lives of Hispanic Older Adults, their Families, and Caregivers Volunteerism within the Latino Culture

Working to Improve the Lives of Hispanic Older Adults, Their Families, and Their Communities Working to Improve the Lives of Hispanic Older Adults, their Families, and Caregivers Characteristics of Latino Volunteerism Informal volunteerism It is not part of their history Free cooperation Altruistic Work Latinos do not volunteer like mainstream Americans Culture of “doing favors” / Helping others

Working to Improve the Lives of Hispanic Older Adults, Their Families, and Their Communities It is a process of building community, relationships, and trust with Hispanic communities Hispanic Engagement and authentic engagement strategies that create advocates for people, neighborhoods and issues within communities Working to Improve the Lives of Hispanic Older Adults, their Families, and Caregivers Engaging Latinos to Volunteer

Working to Improve the Lives of Hispanic Older Adults, Their Families, and Their Communities Working to Improve the Lives of Hispanic Older Adults, their Families, and Caregivers 6 Strategies for Hispanic Engagement 1. Relationship 2. La Cultura 3. Go to la Gente 4. Collaborate 5. Be a Resource 6. Respect

Working to Improve the Lives of Hispanic Older Adults, Their Families, and Their Communities Working to Improve the Lives of Hispanic Older Adults, their Families, and Caregivers Inviting Participation (recruitment) Use strategies that take into account cultural characteristicsInvite people (personal approach) to volunteerExtend invitations to volunteer through visits or phone callsUse Spanish radio to issue invitationsExpect the whole family to attend the meeting for volunteerChoose meeting spaces that are familiar to the peopleMake meetings social events

Working to Improve the Lives of Hispanic Older Adults, Their Families, and Their Communities Working to Improve the Lives of Hispanic Older Adults, their Families, and Caregivers Inviting Participation (recruitment) Deliver information in Spanish if people are Spanish speakers Stress that their skills and talents will make a difference in their families and their community Initially recruit for short-term assignmentsSimplify paperwork and explain why it is neededDon’t become discouraged by limited response. Keep asking

Working to Improve the Lives of Hispanic Older Adults, Their Families, and Their Communities  Introduce your organization’s mission and goals and how they apply and benefit volunteers’ families and the Latino community  Emphasize the idea that anybody can be a volunteer regardless of his or her gender, age, religion, race, or economic and educational level  Recruiting Latinos as volunteers needs to be done on a one-to-one basis Working to Improve the Lives of Hispanic Older Adults, their Families, and Caregivers Recruiting Latino Volunteers

Working to Improve the Lives of Hispanic Older Adults, Their Families, and Their Communities As with strategies for recruitment, the support provided to volunteers must take into account their daily life experience and the influence of culture Create a welcoming environment Find time to visit with volunteers Reinforce personal relationships continuously Offer food, even if it is only a beverage Create a multi-cultural office program environment Review program policies and practices to identify those that might discourage Latino participation Working to Improve the Lives of Hispanic Older Adults, their Families, and Caregivers Retaining Latino Volunteers

Working to Improve the Lives of Hispanic Older Adults, Their Families, and Their Communities Get Ready to Face Challenges Be prepared to provide child care as needed Be prepared to help with transportation Avoid out of pocket expenses Take into consideration work schedules when planning meetings for volunteers and scheduling volunteer hours Provide Skills Provide quality training that builds on the knowledge and experience of volunteers Consider a mentoring approach to training Involve volunteers in planning as well as carrying out plans Working to Improve the Lives of Hispanic Older Adults, their Families, and CaregiversRetaining Latino Volunteers

Working to Improve the Lives of Hispanic Older Adults, Their Families, and Their Communities Invite them to work within a diverse work committee or group. Be sure that they have somebody they already trust in the group Make reminder calls. This helps not only to remind them of their task or meeting but also to build a relationship Recognition of their work must be designed within the cultural context Involve the entire family  Build a relationship and establish trust with the Latino community  Thank them Working to Improve the Lives of Hispanic Older Adults, their Families, and Caregivers Retaining Latino Volunteers

Working to Improve the Lives of Hispanic Older Adults, Their Families, and Their Communities

¡ Muchas Gracias! NNati NATIONAL HISPANIC COUNCIL ON AGING MARIA EUGENIA HERNANDEZ-LANEMARIA EUGENIA HERNANDEZ-LANE VICE PRESIDENTVICE PRESIDENT PHONE: PHONE: Working to Improve the Lives of Hispanic Older Adults, their Families, and Caregivers