Diversity among seniors. A Toledo, OH, hospital assesses the healthcare needs of elderly African Americans and Hispanics.
In 1992, leaders at Mercy Hospital, Toledo, OH, realized the facility's outreach programs were not reaching as many elderly African-American and Hispanic residents from the surrounding neighborhood as they would have liked. Mercy's leaders therefore decided that the hospital could offer cultural-specific programs that better meet the healthcare needs of these populations. To secure residents' perspective, an assessment process was launched. The data gathered from participants in face-to-face interviews revealed that some had problems with access to healthcare. A lack of money and other resources seemed to be the major barriers to care. The key concern of the elderly persons interviewed is securing personalized care or services that help them maintain their independence. A number of participants wanted free transportation (other than to and from the hospital). They need help getting to their physician's office, the pharmacy, the grocery store, and the bank. Public agencies may offer such transportation services. In addition, the Hispanic elderly interviewed would like to see Spanish-speaking personnel in admissions and the emergency department.
College of Health and Human Services, Bowling Green State University, OH.
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D001741:Black or African American; D000368:Aged; D018672:Community Health Planning; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006299:Health Services for the Aged; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D015285:Hospital-Patient Relations; D016519:Hospitals, Religious / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D009820:Ohio