title: El Portal Latino Alzheimer's Project: model program for Latino caregivers of Alzheimer's disease-affected people.
abstract: The article describes the El Portal Latino Alzheimer's Project--a dementia-specific outreach and services program targeting Latino caregivers in the Los Angeles County area. The project is an example of an interorganizational community-based collaborative developed to provide an array of coordinated, ethnic-sensitive services to Latino dementia-affected adults and their family caregivers, using culturally specific outreach and services delivery strategies. Results of an evaluation of service utilization indicate a reduction in barriers to care and an increase in services utilization. Los Angeles County provides a natural urban laboratory to study the special needs and circumstances of older Latinos dealing with chronic and debilitating illnesses. Implications for social work practice are discussed.
authors.affiliation: School of Social Work, University of Southern California, Los Angeles 90089-0411, USA. aranda@usc.edu
authors.forename: Maria P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Aranda
authors.forename: Valentine M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Villa
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Trejo
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ramírez
authors.forename: Martha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ranney
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000451:nursing*; D001364:Awareness; D017028:Caregivers; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D015141:Los Angeles; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017146:Models, Organizational; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012944:Social Support; D012947:Social Work