National Library of Medicine,<\/a> the median income for Hispanic seniors in the U.S. is $22,000 below that of non-Hispanic white seniors. The study identifies them as the group with the highest percentage below the poverty level, with 4.5% uninsured.<\/p>\nSuch disparities place Hispanic seniors at \u201chigh risk of adverse health outcomes\u201d and lead to higher costs of care. The study also reports higher rates of obesity, diabetes, liver disease, dementia and depression.<\/p>\n
The study also identified language barriers as a primary issue for Spanish-speaking individuals seeking health care.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ana Salazar, coordinator of the Basilio Huertas Senior Center, said Spanish-speaking members often ask her to take their medical phone calls and schedule appointments. She said translators are usually not an option locally, making the process confusing and frustrating \u2014 especially for older people.<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes, our seniors do feel unwanted by the community,\u201d Salazar said. \u201cPeople get upset more with the elderly, like if they\u2019re in the store and they\u2019re walking slowly. You have to understand that one day, you will be in their position. And you have to be respectful to everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
Additionally, Salazar said barriers in both language and technology literacy can make tasks like catching a bus, setting up an account or submitting an online application feel overwhelming. Discrimination toward this population often comes from the intersection of age and ethnicity.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A mission that empowers<\/p>\n
Since its founding in 1968, Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley has aimed to empower and promote self-sufficiency for Hispanic individuals in Bethlehem\u2019s South Side. For over 30 years, the Basilio Huertas Senior Center has made older community members the focal point of its mission.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were created because of the influx of the Hispanic community due to Bethlehem Steel,\u201d Santiago said. \u201cAs that community aged, they needed a place where they could age gracefully and stay connected.\u201d<\/p>\n
The senior center hosts programs including English as a Second Language classes, technology training, financial literacy workshops and health screenings. Each day, members can engage socially through recreational activities and are provided with three nutritious meals \u2014 often a health-conscious take on a familiar cultural dish.<\/p>\n
While the senior center welcomes people of all ethnicities, Santiago said a culturally appropriate approach to community-building sets it apart.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Each month, the center\u2019s impact is measured through a survey adopted from the UCLA Loneliness Scale, a 20-question, self-reported survey that evaluates feelings of social isolation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This allows members to provide regular feedback on how effectively the center reduces isolation and builds community. They can also share ideas through a suggestion box.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Leonides Solivan, 73, has been attending the senior center since 2019. After retiring and battling cancer, she said it\u2019s given her a daily sense of fulfillment and described it as her extended family.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI like the program where they have the nurses from St. Luke\u2019s come to talk about different topics \u2014 it could be arthritis, cancer or any other topic,\u201d she said. \u201cWe have to face these illnesses. It\u2019s best to know what avenues we can take to get help and more information.\u201d<\/p>\n
Santiago said funding for the senior-focused programs can be difficult to secure.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously, people love to invest in our youth, education or food pantry,\u201d Santiago said. \u201cFor these things, it\u2019s very easy to raise money. But saying that our seniors need help is a much more difficult task.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the past year, the senior center has seen decreases in financial support. Santiago said when older adults are seen as unable to give anything back, people are less likely to feel a responsibility to support them.<\/p>\n
Looking ahead, Santiago said he hopes the senior center continues to survive as a program and gain support.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re willing to serve on your boards, they\u2019re willing to volunteer for your organizations, they\u2019re willing to give so much, but they need to be asked,\u201d Santiago said. \u201cThey need to be involved in the conversations, not forgotten as soon as they retire.\u201d<\/p>\n
Berrios, who once struggled with mobility issues and depression, can now be found in the center of the floor during daily exercise dance sessions.<\/p>\n
She sports purple hair and a sun hat. She no longer uses a walker.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey call me the ballerina,\u201d Berrios said.<\/p>\n
Salazar said Berrios now feels like she belongs in a way she didn\u2019t before.<\/p>\n
She said Berrios was welcomed immediately and now regularly receives hugs from staff and fellow members.<\/p>\n
Each one is a reminder that she isn\u2019t forgotten.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In the downstairs bedroom of her daughter\u2019s house, Elsie Berrios fought silently. Her days as a valued cook…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":170417,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[49122,153,155,154,2362,1197],"class_list":["post-170416","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-bethlehem","tag-6-min-read","tag-bethlehem","tag-bethlehem-headlines","tag-bethlehem-news","tag-diversity","tag-feature"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/170416","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=170416"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/170416\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/170417"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=170416"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=170416"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=170416"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}