Older immigrants from the former Soviet Union and their use of complementary and alternative medicine.
The population of older immigrants in the United States is growing and they bring their health beliefs and practices with them. Older immigrants from the former Soviet Union use a variety of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) remedies which includes in part: 1) foods to which medicinal properties are attributed, 2) herbs, 3) external treatments, and 4) pharmaceuticals manufactured in the former Soviet Union and available over-the-counter. These remedies vary in their efficacy and are often used in combination with or in lieu of prescribed allopathic (Western) medications. Health beliefs regarding medicine in the United States has led older Slavic immigrant to distrust their US health care providers and system. Nurses are in a key position to inquire and work with older Slavic immigrants to safely use their CAM and provide more information about prescribed allopathic medications and the harmful effects of combining remedies without consultation.
Washington State University, College of Nursing, Spokane, WA 99210-1495, USA. Electronic address: vansonc@wsu.edu.
Catherine R
CR
Van Son
Ivan Franko National University of L'viv, L'viv Oblast, Ukraine.
Oksana
O
Stasyuk
D000368:Aged; D000529:Complementary Therapies; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D006801:Humans; D014586:USSR
CAM; Ethnomedicine; Former Soviet Union; Older immigrants