Caregivers come in all ages, shapes and sizes, but what they don’t come with is a universally accepted one-word Spanish translation for the word “caregiver.” Strange? Not really. In the Latino culture caring for someone, particularly an aging parent or spouse is a responsibility not taken lightly and one steeped in tradition with words filled with promises and commitments to the elders. It is not unusual to learn that words such as coping or stress for a caregiver are not used since it would imply a burden, instead of the kind of duty that is carried out obediently and respectfully.
In a 2008 study done by Evercare in collaboration with the National Alliance for Caregivers they found, “Eighty-four percent of Hispanic caregivers believe that their role is an expectation within their upbringing. Seventy percent think that it would bring shame on their family not to accept their caregiving role versus 60% of non-Hispanics.”
With both the increase of the baby-boomer generation as well as the ranks of Hispanics swelling to a majority of the population, there is an urgent need to understand the ways in which Hispanic caregivers must negotiate the tension between cultural beliefs and the demands of their individual circumstances.
Dr. Lyda Consuelo Arevalo-Flechas, R.N. discusses an in-depth study she conducted to flesh out the nuances among Latino/Hispanic Caregivers. Caregiving as seen by Latino/Hispanic Caregivers is just one of the many videos created by mmLearn.org to assist caregivers and help them become more confident in their very important role of caring for their loved ones.
