Deck 12: Diversity and Aging

Question 1

Which type of question would an ethnogeriatrician not be interested in addressing?

A) To what extent does identification with one's ethnic category, versus identification with mainstream culture, affect one's belief in allopathic medicine and the efficacy of scientific treatments?
B) To what extent does race impact one's ability to work with a healthcare provider of a different cultural background?
C) To what extent does a peer-to-peer program impact clinical outcomes?
D) To what extent does acculturation level impact one's need for dependence on family for decision making in healthcare?

Answer 1

C
Among those who believe that cultural differences among older adults are at least as important as socioeconomic differences are the academicians who refer to themselves as ethnogeriatricians. The field of ethnogeriatrics focuses on the ability to provide healthcare in ways that are acceptable to older adults because they are congruent with those persons' cultural backgrounds and expectations. Ethnogeriatricians would be interested in all of the questions above EXCEPT to what extent does a peer-to-peer program impact clinical outcomes-as this does not have to do with cultural differences.

Question 2

According to the 2002 Institute of Medicine report, racial disparities contributed to __________among minorities.

A) Metabolic syndrome
B) Higher death rates
C) Cardiovascular disease

Answer 2

B
The Institute of Medicine, an independent research institution that advises Congress, reported in March 2002 on the first comprehensive examination of racial disparities in healthcare among people who have health insurance. The report reviewed more than 100 studies conducted over a decade and concluded that racial disparities contributed to higher death rates among minorities. It cited that minorities were less likely to be given appropriate medications for heart disease; less likely to be offered bypass surgery, angioplasty, kidney dialysis, or transplants; less likely to receive the most sophisticated treatment for HIV; and more likely to have lower limbs amputated as a result of diabetes.

Question 3

Discuss the distinctions among the following terms: minority, race, ethnicity, and disadvantaged.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

Answer 3

Minority groups refer to subgroups within a population that are subject to discrimination, usually on the basis of their race or ethnicity.
Racial groups are categories based on parentage and physical appearance. Typically, skin color, hair texture, and face shape are its determinants.
Ethnic groups include individuals who share a cultural heritage, ancestry, history, homeland, religion, ritual, diet, appearance, and so forth-in other words, a hodge-podge of characteristics that do not all remain distinct between groups.
Disadvantaged groups have prejudice to overcome and cultural and financial barriers to deal with.

Question 4

Describe some of the policy changes resulting from the legalization of gay marriage.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

Question 5

How many grandparents are caring for grandchildren in the United States?

A) 2,700
B) 27,000
C) 270,000
D) 2.7 million

Question 6

What is not a barrier to community health promotion programs among primarily Spanish-speaking Hispanic elders?

A) Many Hispanic elders are unfamiliar with senior centers, whereas others who visit the centers find the programs to be culturally insensitive to them.
B) Hispanic physicians, followed by Spanish-speaking or bilingual health professionals, are preferred but are in short supply. The belief in folk medicine and the healing power of God can often result in the postponement of timely doctor visits.
C) The most credible source of health information for Hispanic elders is Spanish-language Internet.
D) Lack of knowledge of (and experience in) the American healthcare system, compounded by financial limitations and lack of transportation, constitute a major barrier to timely healthcare services.

Question 7

A study by the National Indian Council on Aging found that at age 45, reservation-dwelling Native Americans had the health characteristics of the average American at what age?

A) 45
B) 75
C) 55
D) 65

Question 8

How have oppression and disempowerment affected older lesbians and gay men in terms of health outcomes?

A) Mental health and physical health problems
B) It has not affected them
C) Mental health problems
D) Substance use problems

Question 9

Living in a rural area increases the probability of which of the following?

A) Having fewer social networks
B) Experiencing depression
C) Experiencing poverty
D) Stress

Question 10

At what age can older adults live in public housing and receive early Social Security retirement benefits?

A) 67
B) 62
C) 75
D) 50

Question 11

Briefly describe the crossover phenomenon.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

Question 12

What is the dependency ratio?

A) Ratio between grandparents and dependents
B) Ratio between those not in the labor force and those in the labor force
C) Ratio between people paying taxes and dependents on welfare
D) Ratio of younger adults and older adults

Question 13

What country has the world's largest older adult population?

A) China
B) United States
C) Japan
D) Greece

Question 14

What is the definition of disadvantaged groups?

A) Groups that are stigmatized
B) Groups that have experienced institutional racism
C) Groups that are less likely to follow a treatment plan
D) Groups that have a common greater prejudice to overcome and cultural and financial barriers to deal with