If your organization works with Hispanic American communities, or wants to expand its outreach to one of the largest and fastest growing demographics in the United States, there are some key issues to know!
The National Hispanic Council on Aging is the leading voice for Hispanic American older adults, their families, and caregivers. Through our +50 years of research, advocacy, and service, we’ve come to know the challenges that keep aide from reaching the Hispanic American community. Check out this walkthrough to better understand what’s in the way of successful outreach to a community of over 63 million.
- Lack of Insurance
Hispanics have the highest uninsured rates of any racial or ethnic group within the United States. According to a Census Bureau on insurance coverage in the United States in 2020, 18.3% of the Hispanic American population did not have health insurance, compared to only 5.4% of the non-Hispanic white population.
Many actually qualify for healthcare social services like Medicaid and Medicare, but find the bureaucratic systems used to receive coverage to be too difficult to navigate. Most often, this is due to a lack of linguistic or cultural appropriacy for the Hispanic American community, wherein the impersonal nature of the application process is intimidating or not in their primary language. Similarly, multigenerational households may see varying statuses in the immigration process, resulting in a general confusion or apprehension about what services they do or do not qualify for.
- Lack of Transportation
Urban planning in the United States has created a society that is distinctly car-dependent. For any given errand or necessary appointment, you can expect to need a form of transportation. This puts many older adults at a disadvantage in carrying out their everyday needs, which creates a significant toll on Hispanic American older adults especially.
More than 1 in 5 American older adults do not drive, and tend to prefer the use of public transportation that they can easily access near their home. However, Hispanic American communities frequently do not have easy access to proper public transportation, allowing for something as simple as getting from point A to point B to keep them from getting to their doctor’s appointments, vaccination appointments—even grocery shopping.
- The Digital Divide
Similar to our car dependency, internet access has become a necessity in any Americans’ day-to-day life. For many, information and direct access to services are as convenient as the touch of a button, but unfortunately, many Hispanic Americans are not connected to the digital world. Among Hispanic American communities, especially older adults, there is a lack of knowledge and tech-savviness with the use of computers, smartphones, tablets, etc. Many communities even struggle to have consistent access to an internet connection, and rely on community spaces like public libraries.
The answer to many of the challenges faced by disadvantaged Hispanic American communities, and specifically their older adults, could be remedied by the convenience of an internet connection. Many programs have been developed to help older adults receive transportation and medical service alike, but their lack of skill in navigating a digital interface severely limits the impact of these programs.
These are the factors that your organization must be aware of when working with Hispanic American communities. Services, programs, and similar opportunities, must be conducted in such ways that would account for these obstacles. NHCOA’s own Resource Center acts as a hotline for households that need help applying for programs, finding vaccine appointments, and more.
The National Hispanic Council on Aging is proud to be a trusted voice advocating for Hispanic American communities, and we use our standing to help these communities reach and learn about available forms of aid. We are excited to engage fellow organizations that find commonality in these values, so that we may overcome these challenges together.
For more tips on how to best work with the Hispanic American community, we encourage you to check out our webinar on the subject, titled “NHCOA’s ‘How to Successfully Engage and Work with Hispanic Americans’ Webinar,” on YouTube.
Need help? Contact NHCOA’s Resource Center, a multilingual hub that educates and empowers the Hispanic American community with accurate information and resources that can help them stay healthy. Available in English, Spanish and Portuguese! Text us via Whatsapp at (202) 658 – 8664. Learn more here: nhcoa.org/resourcecenter.
This publication is supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $210,023 with 67 percentage funded by ACL/HHS and $70,240 amount and 33 percentage funded by non-government source (s). The contents are those of the author (s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ACL/HHS, or the U.S. Government.
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