Alzheimer’s Disease: Research on Hispanics, African Americans, and Whites (Caregiver Video 2:48 mins.)

Alzheimer’s disease has both similarities and differences in knowledge, awareness, and cultural beliefs among groups defined by race and ethnicity. This has been documented in research by the University of Michigan School of Public Health in Ann Arbor, MI.

For example, both African American and Hispanic respondents tend to believe that Alzheimer’s disease is a normal part of aging. These groups were more optimistic about future research advances than whites were. On the other hand, more than whites and African Americans, Hispanics were more likely to report feeling well-prepared for handling a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease in a family member. In general, the research results support the need for more public education about the disease.

In this video titled “Extended Interview with Alzheimer's Caregiver, Ric Gomez,” an Hispanic caregiver, who quit his job so he could take care of his father, speaks honestly about ongoing challenges and good times they experience. His father is in the middle stages of Alzheimer’s disease.

Frances Shani Parker, Author
"Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes”
Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog

Brain Atrophy of Elderly in Nursing Homes: Racism, Social Inappropriateness, Depression, and Problem Gambling

An African American, I have experienced racism my entire life. A child raised in the Jim Crow South, I was reminded every day of my unimportance. Up North in Michigan, I live in one of the most segregated states in America. The continuing documentation of racial-ethnic healthcare disparities in America speaks for itself.

I wasn’t surprised at all when several African American nursing assistants (CNA’s) I spoke to at nursing homes in both Michigan and Massachusetts complained about being targets of racist comments by their elderly white patients. What was interesting in a few instances was that the comments were overheard by the patients’ relatives who said they were shocked after hearing them. Some relatives even apologized to the nursing assistants for the behavior of the patients. According to these relatives, they had never heard the patients make racist statements during all the years they had known them.

These incidents came to mind when I read this research from “Current Directions in Psychological Science” about brain atrophy, which is a gradual shrinking of the brain that includes significant atrophy in the frontal lobes where executive functioning occurs. The study reports that the results of this atrophy include decreased inhibitory ability in late adulthood that can lead to unintended prejudice, social inappropriateness (such as publicly asking personal questions), depression, and problem gambling. University of Queensland psychologist Bill von Hippel explains that older white adults showed greater stereotyping toward African Americans than younger white adults did. Despite being more motivated to control their prejudices, older whites’ attempts to inhibit their prejudices failed.

The study proposes that some of the negative social behaviors attributed to the elderly may be resulting from their loss of inhibition. You can read more about this research on brain atrophy in the elderly at the “Medical News Today” website.

Note: A study from the Buehler Center on Aging at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine states that nearly 75 percent of nursing assistants (CNA’s) working in nursing homes experience racism on the job. This research showed that racism is expressed by nursing home residents as well as residents' families and nursing home co-workers.

Frances Shani Parker, Author
"Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes”
Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog

Latinos, African Americans, and Alzheimer’s Disease (Audio 5:55 mins.)

According to a study reported in “Neurology®,”
Latinos and African Americans with Alzheimer's disease live longer than Caucasians who have the disease. Variables such as education level, age when symptoms began, living situation, and other factors that could affect how long the study participants lived did not change the results. The study involved about 31,000 people who had Alzheimer’s disease.

Latino participants lived about 40 percent longer than Caucasian participants, and African American participants lived 15 percent longer than Caucasians. Asian and American Indian participants lived about as long as Caucasians. Author of the study, Kala Mehta, DSc, said, "Possible explanations may be underlying genetic or cultural factors." Other possible factors were varying levels of social support from extended family, varying levels of health and diseases in addition to Alzheimer's disease, varying levels of treatment of other diseases, and differences in measurement or earlier diagnosis in some groups. Another factor could be length of stay in the United States. These findings can impact healthcare planning of Alzheimer’s disease.

You can hear more about Alzheimer’s disease and treatment, including additional information about African Americans, at this NPR.org. website.

Frances Shani Parker, Author
"Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes”
Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog