The 2019-20 New York state budget that went into effect last month includes a $15 million increase for home and community services for older New Yorkers.
The budget increase is the largest in almost two decades and will help seniors avoid nursing-home care, according to information from the AARP.
A 2017 survey conducted by AARP concluded Latinos are not comfortable with the idea of nursing homes or assisted-living facilities due to such factors as social norms among Hispanic families that discourage outside care of older relatives, as well as language and cultural barriers (https://bit.ly/2PGUimh).
According to the survey, about half of Hispanics have had difficulty communicating with health-care providers because of cultural (47 percent) or language (45 percent) barriers. According to survey participants, most felt nursing homes and providers do not tailor to the needs of Hispanics.
