Dependency, Cultural Identification, and Elder Abuse Among Americans of Mexican Heritage

ABSTRACT

We interviewed professional caregivers who work with elderly Americans of Mexican ancestry. These caregivers were employed at nursing homes or in home health care agencies. They were interviewed about the impact of dependency and cultural identification on elder abuse and its reporting. They described abusers who were often dependent in terms of living arrangements and finances on the elders they abused. The caregivers who identified as “Hispanic” rather than “Mexican-American” said that people in their culture would be more likely to report abuse. Among the caregivers who were themselves Americans of Mexican heritage, this was the case: Those who identified as “Hispanic” rather than “Mexican-American” were twice as likely to report abuse, even though far fewer had direct knowledge of the abuse.

KEYWORDS:

• Elder abuse
• Mexican-American
• Hispanic