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Addressing
Diversity
Health and Aging Resources for Minorities and Diverse Populations
The following is a sample of federal government resources, national
organizations and academic institutions whose activities include
minority aging issues.
Administration on Aging Resources:
Eldercare Locator
1-800-677-1116 (toll-free) 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. ET Monday
- Friday
Description: A nationwide service to connect older persons and
their caregivers to the information and assistance (I&A) networks
at the state and local levels. There is no charge to use the service,
and there is no charge for the information. Individuals calling
this service have access to more than 4800 state and local I&A
service providers identified for every ZIP code in the country.
Department of Health and Human Services Minority Resources:
HHS Initiative to Eliminate Racial and Ethnic Disparities in
Health
e-mail: raceandhealth@osophs.dhhs.gov
Description: President Clinton has set a national goal of eliminating,
by the year 2010, longstanding disparities in health status that
affect racial and ethnic minorities, and the Department of Health
and Human Services is guiding this initiative. http://raceandhealth.hhs.gov/
Office of Minority Health (OS/OPHS)
P.O. Box 37337
Washington, DC 20013-7337
800-444-MHRC (800-444-6472)
FAX: 301-589-0884
TDD: 301-589-0951
Description: The Office of Minority Health (OMH) advises the
Secretary of HHS and the Office of Public Health and Science on
public health issues affecting American Indians and Alaska Natives,
Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders,
Blacks/African Americans, and Hispanics/Latinos. The mission of
OMH is to improve the health of racial and ethnic populations
through the development of effective health policies and programs
that help to eliminate disparities in health.
http://www.omhrc.gov/omhhome.htm
“Closing the Gap” is a newsletter
published by the Office of Minority Health, which focuses each
issue on a specific health topic of concern to minority communities.
The May 2000 issue is dedicated to the health issues of aging
minority populations. Included are articles on:
specific health problems facing Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders,
American Indians/Alaska Natives, African Americans, and Hispanics/Latinos;
the Administration on Aging’s proposed Life Course Planning
Program to advise middle-aged and older people and their families
on the aging issues for which they must prepare;
minority dependence on Medicare as their sole source of health
insurance;
- immunization disparities; and
- recognizing and treating depression in older adults
To view the May 2000 “Closing the Gap” issue, see:
http://www.omhrc.gov/ctg/ctg_aging2.pdf
HHS Office for Civil Rights
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Room 509F HHH Bldg.
Washington, D.C. 20201
Hotlines: 1-800-368-1019
Description: The Department of Health and Human Services, through
the Office for Civil Rights, promotes and ensures that people
have equal access to and opportunity to participate in and receive
services in all HHS programs without facing unlawful discrimination.
Through prevention and elimination of unlawful discrimination,
the Office for Civil Rights helps HHS carry out its overall mission
of improving the health and well-being of all people affected
by its many programs.
http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/
Language Assistance to Persons with Limited English Proficiency
HHS Office for Civil Rights
Description: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
has issued written policy guidance to assist health and social
services providers in ensuring that persons with limited English
skills can effectively access critical health and social services.
The guidance, published in the Federal Register by the HHS Office
for Civil Rights (OCR), lays out and explains more fully OCR's
existing policies. It outlines the legal responsibilities of providers
who receive Federal financial assistance from HHS - such as hospitals,
HMOs and human service agencies - to assist people with limited
English skills. It also provides a flexible road map to the range
of options available to providers in meeting the language needs
of the nation's increasingly diverse populations.
http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/lep
Indian Health Service
Parklawn Building
5600 Fishers Lane
Rockville, MD 20857
(301) 443-3593
Fax: (301) 443-0507
e-mail: Feedback@ihs.gov.
Description: Members of Federally recognized Indian tribes and
their descendants are eligible for services provided by the Indian
Health Service (IHS). The IHS is an agency of the US Public Health
Service, Department of Health and Human Services. The IHS operates
a comprehensive health service delivery system for approximately
1.5 million of the nation's two million American Indians and Alaska
Natives. The goal of the IHS is to raise the health status of
American Indian and Alaska Native people to the highest possible
level.
http://www.ihs.gov
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Road, NE
Atlanta, GA 30333
(404) 639-7210
FAX: (404) 639-7039
Toll free: 1-800-311-3435
Description: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides
a system of health surveillance to monitor and prevent outbreak
of diseases. With the assistance of states and other partners,
CDC guards against international disease transmission, maintains
national health statistics and provides for immunization services
and supports research into disease and injury prevention.
Within CDC there is an Office of the Associate Director for Minority
Health. Its major goal is to enhance the overall health of the
American public by reducing the burden of preventable disease
and illness through health promotion and disease prevention initiatives
geared specifically toward U.S. minority populations and, where
appropriate, similar ethnic/racial subgroups inside and outside
of the United States.
http://www.cdc.gov
Información de los CDC en español: http://www.cdc.gov/spanish/
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Minority Health Resources
2101 E. Jefferson St., Suite 501
Rockville, MD 20852
(301) 594-1364
info@ahrq.gov
Description: The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
research provides evidence-based information on health care outcomes;
quality; and cost, use, and access. Information from AHRQ’s
research helps people make more informed decisions and improve
the quality of health care services. AHRQ was formerly known as
the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research. AHRO has focused
research on addressing racial and ethnic disparities in health
care and on improving health care for those populations.
http://www.eeoc.gov
http://www.ahrq.gov/research/minorix.htm
Health Resources and Services Administration
Bureau of Primary Health Care
4350 East-West Highway
Bethesda, Maryland 20814
301-594-4100
FAX: 301-594-5008
Description: The Health Resources and Services Administration
(HRSA) helps provide health resources for medically underserved
populations. HRSA supports a nationwide network of 643 community
and migrant health centers, and 144 primary care programs for
the homeless and residents of public housing, serving 8.1 million
Americans each year. HRSA's Office of Minority Health provides
leadership Agencywide for programs and activities which address
the special health needs of racial/ethnic minorities to eliminate
disparities, while improving health status.
http://www.bphc.hrsa.gov/
National Institute on Aging
Building 31, Room 5C27
31 Center Drive, MSC 2292
Bethesda, MD 20892
Phone: 301-496-1752
Description: The National Institute on Aging (NIA), one of the
25 institutes and centers of the National Institutes of Health,
leads a broad scientific effort to understand the nature of aging
and to extend the healthy, active years of life. In 1974, Congress
granted authority to form the National Institute on Aging to provide
leadership in aging research, training, health information dissemination,
and other programs relevant to aging and older people. Subsequent
amendments to this legislation designated the NIA as the primary
federal agency on Alzheimer’s disease research. NIA has
an extensive array of publications and resources, including a
Minority Aging Newsletter.
http://www.nih.gov/nia
http://www.nih.gov/nia/news/wgma for the newsletter
Office of Research on Minority Health
National Institutes of Health
Office of Research on Minority Health
Building 1/ Room 258
One Center Drive MSC 0164
Bethesda, MD 20892-0164
301- 402-1366
Fax: 301- 402-7040
Description: The Office of Research on Minority Health (ORMH)
leads the Federal effort at the National Institutes of Health
in stimulating new research ideas for improving the health status
of minority Americans across the lifespan. It also promotes programs
aimed at expanding the participation of underrepresented minorities
in all aspects of biomedical and behavioral research. ORMH launched
the Minority Health Initiative, a research agenda comprised of
a series of multi-year biomedical and behavioral research studies
and training programs in 1992.
http://www.ncmhd.nih.gov/
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney
Diseases
31 Center Drive, MSC 2560
Bethesda, MD 20892
(301) 496-3583
National Diabetes Education Program: 1-800-438-5383
e-mail: dk_ocpl@extra.niddk.nih.gov
Description: The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive
and Kidney Diseases conducts and supports research on many of
the most serious diseases affecting public health. The Institute
supports much of the clinical research on the diseases of internal
medicine and related subspecialty fields as well as many basic
science disciplines. The Institute supports the National Diabetes
Information Clearinghouse and is a partner in the National Diabetes
Education Program, a federally sponsored initiative that involves
public and private partners to improve the treatment and outcomes
for people with diabetes, to promote early diagnosis, and ultimately
to prevent the onset of diabetes.
http://www2.niddk.nih.gov
Diabetes in African Americans:
www.niddk.nih.gov/health/diabetes/diabetes.htm
NIDDK Spanish-Language Publications:
http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health/spanish.htm
Other Federal Resources:
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
1801 L Street, NW
Washington, DC 20005
Toll-free: 1-800-669-4000
TDD: 1-800-669-6820
Description: The mission of the EEOC is to promote equal opportunity
in
employment through administrative and judicial enforcement of
the federal civil rights laws and through education and technical
assistance. The EEOC enforces the principal federal statutes prohibiting
employment discrimination, including:
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, which
prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of race, color,
religion, sex, or national origin; and
the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, as amended
(ADEA), which prohibits employment discrimination against individuals
40 years of age and older. http://www.eeoc.gov
U.S. Census Bureau
Washington DC 20233
(301) 457-4608
FAX: 301-457-3670
Description: The mission of the Census Bureau is to be the preeminent
collector and provider of timely, relevant, and quality data about
the people and economy of the United States. The Census Bureau
provides a variety of publications on a myriad of topics.
www.census.gov
Social Security Administration
6401 Security Blvd.
Room 4-C-5 Annex
Baltimore, MD 21235-6401
Toll free: 1-800-772-1213
Description: The Social Security Administration (SSA) is the
Federal Government agency responsible for the Social Security
retirement, survivors benefits, and disability insurance program,
as well as the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. Free
publications and other services are available on SSA website.
http://www.ssa.gov
National Organizations with a Focus on Minority Aging:
The following are a sample of the national organizations representing
and/or providing services to minority elders:
American Society on Aging Diversity Programs
833 Market Street, Suite 511
San Francisco, California 94103
(415) 974-9630
email: ctursi@asa.asaging.org
Description: The American Society on Aging (ASA) has several
programs which focus on diversity and multi-culturalism. New Ventures
in Leadership promotes the leadership potential of minority professionals
in the aging field by providing training seminars, special projects
and mentors. Multicultural Aging Network, provides a forum for
individuals and organizations who are working toward cultural
competence to discuss and address issues This component collaborates
with ASA's committees and constituent units to incorporate multicultural
aging into the fabric of the organization. Diversity Currents
is the Network's newsletter. Serving Elders of Color: A Training
and Networking Initiative addresses the needs of aging service
providers in responding to the challenges posed by the diversity
of the older population. It provides a comprehensive training
curriculum, training events located throughout the country, and
a core of experienced trainers who are available for in-service
assistance to organizations serving older persons.
www.asaging.org
AARP
601 E Street NW
Washington, DC 20049
1-800-424-3410
Description: The AARP is a nonprofit organization dedicated to
helping older Americans achieve lives of independence, dignity,
and purpose. The Minority Affairs Program works to focus greater
public attention on the needs of older members of minority groups.
The AARP newsletter Common Chords is focused on issues related
to diversity and aging. In addition, AARP has an extensive array
of publications and reports on issues of significance to older
minorities.
http://www.aarp.org
Alu Like, Inc.
Administrative Offices
567 S. King St., Suite 400
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
(808) 535-6726
Description: Private, non-profit organization whose mission is
to assist Native Hawaiians who are committed to achieving their
potential in caring for themselves, their families and communities.
The Administration on Aging funds ,under title VI-B, the Native
Hawaiian Elderly Services project called in Hawaiian: Ke Ola Pono
No Na Kupuna, or Good Health and Living for the Elderly. Offices
and projects located on Oahu, Hawaii Island, Kauai, Maui, and
Molokai.
http://www.alulike.org
Asociacion Nacional Pro Personas Mayores
1452 West Temple Street, Suite 100
Los Angeles, CA 90026-1724
(213) 487-1922
Fax: (213) 208-5905
Washington, DC: (202) 293-9329
Description: Asociacion Nacional Pro Personas Mayores (ANPPM)
is a national, private, non-profit organization which focuses
on the needs of older Hispanic people and other low-income elderly
as a way of bringing about social change that will impact the
Hispanic community and the nation. The organization provides a
variety of services which are supported by federal, state and
private funds to accomplish its goals. Services include research
related to the needs of Hispanic elderly people through the agency's
national Hispanic research center; research and consultation for
organizations or businesses that wish to reach Spanish-speaking
people, especially those age 55 and older; training and technical
assistance for agencies which provide services for Hispanic and
other low income elderly people; production and dissemination
of written and audio visual materials in English and Spanish;
and administration of the Senior Community Service Employment
Program (SCSEP) also known as Project AYUDA and the Senior Environmental
Employment Program (SEE).
The Gerontological Society of America
Task Force on Minority Issues
1030 15th Street NW Suite 250
Washington, DC 20005
(202) 842-1275
Description: The goal of this Task Force is to provide resources
for those interested in minority aging research, policy and practice.
The Task Force on Minority Issues is made up of representatives
from the various sections of the Gerontological Society of America
(GSA) including Behavioral & Social Science, Biological Science,
Clinical Medicine and Social Research Policy & Practice. Topics
addressed by the Task Force on Minority Issues range from basic
research to policy issues that impact minority elders.
http://www.personal.psu.edu
National Caucus and Center on Black Aged, Inc.
1424 K Street, NW, Suite 500
Washington, D.C. 20005
(202) 637-8400
Fax: (202) 347-0895
e-mail: NCBA@aol.com
Description: The National Caucus and Center on the Black Aged
(NCBA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the
quality of life of the Black elderly. It has over 30,000 members
and 54 state and local chapters. The services and activities of
the organization and its subsidiary and affiliated corporations
include the following: (1) conducting research involving the Black
elderly; (2) sponsoring employment and training programs for the
elderly, including a Minority Training and Development Program
in Long Term Care and the Senior Employment Program which serves
over 1800 low-income older persons; (3) providing the planning,
development, ownership, and management of housing and housing
for the elderly; (4) conducting education and training of professionals
in housing management, gerontology and services to the elderly;
(5) operating transportation services for the elderly and (6)
conducting educational and advocacy efforts at the national level,
state and community levels.
www.ncba-blackaged.org
National Hispanic Council on Aging
2713 Ontario Road NW.
Washington, DC 20009
(202) 265-1288
FAX (202) 745-2522
Description: The National Hispanic Council on Aging (NHCoA) is
a membership based organization, consisting of chapters, affiliates
and organization members located across the country and Puerto
Rico. Its overall mission is to eliminate the social, civic, and
economic inequalities experienced by the elders of Hispanic descent.
As an advocate, the organization carries out its function through
educational and training programs, research and policy studies,
and development of educational materials.
The organization serves as a national point for the exchange
of information, the provision of technical assistance, and consultation
to its members and others who work with the Hispanic elderly.
Combining both national and local initiatives in research and
training, NHCoA develops educational materials, conducts demonstration
projects, and sponsors symposia, and other programs, including
a Summer Policy Fellows Program and a Management Internship Program
in gerontology.
http://www.nhcoa.org
National Asian Pacific Center on Aging
Suite 914, Melbourne Tower
1511 3rd Avenue
Seattle, WA 98101-1626
Toll-free Information: 1-800-336-2722
(202) 362-2707 (Washington, DC office)
(206) 624-1221 (Seattle, WA office)
FAX: (206) 624-1023
Description: National Asian Pacific Resource Center on Aging
is dedicated to improving the status of the Pacific/Asian community
ensuring that they are afforded a meaningful, secure and dignified
existence. The organization carries out a variety of activities,
including providing training for service providers within the
Pacific/Asian community and the larger, generic service system;
providing technical assistance to local Pacific/Asian communities
and the aging community which enhance their capability in serving
the elderly; and designing and developing alternative service
component models and technical assistance tools responsive to
the needs of older Pacific/Asians.
http://www.napca.org
Native Elder Health Care Resource Center
University of Colorado Health Sciences Center
Room 329, 4455 East 12th Avenue
Denver, CO 80220
(303) 315-9228
FAX (303)315-9579
E-mail: jeanene.diana@uchsc.edu
Description: The Native Elder Health Care Resource Center (NEHCRC)
is a national resource center for older American Indians, Alaska
Natives, and Native Hawaiians, with special emphasis on culturally
competent health care. There are four cross-cutting themes to
the Center's efforts: ascertaining health status and conditions,
improving practice standards, increasing access to care, and mobilizing
community resources.
http://www.uchsc.edu/sm/nehcrc
National Indian Council on Aging, Inc.
10501 Montgomery Blvd., NE
Albuquerque, NM 87111
(505) 292-2001
FAX (505) 292-1922
Washington, DC: (202) 362-2707
Description: The National Indian Council on Aging (NICoA) has
as its purpose to bring about improved comprehensive services
to American Indian and Alaskan Native elders nationwide. A primary
focus is its attention to developing a national agenda for the
90s and beyond incorporating implementation strategies designed
to meet the challenges and to accomplish its mission.
The organizations' programs include the Senior 800 Community
Services Employment Program which serves approximately 800 American
Indian elders in Arizona, California, Michigan, New Mexico, Oklahoma
and Washington State.
http://www.nicoa.org
National Resource Center on Native American Aging
PO Box 9037
Grand Forks, ND 58202-9037
Tel: 1-800-896-7628 or 701-777-3437
Fax: 701-777-2389
Description: The National Resource Center on Native American
Aging serves the elderly Native American population of the United
States. The center is committed to increasing awareness of issues
affecting American Indian, Alaskan Native, and Native Hawaiian
elders and to be a voice and advocate for their concerns. Through
education, training, technical assistance, and research, the center
assists in developing community-based solutions to improve the
quality of life and delivery of related services to this aging
population.
http://www.und.nodak.edu/dept/nrcnaa
Academic Institutions:
Resource Centers for Minority Aging Research
The National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging,
National Institute of Nursing Research, and the Office of Research
in Minority Health created a program to decrease the minority/non-minority
differential in health and its social sequelae for older people
by focusing research upon health promotion, disease prevention,
and disability prevention. To meet this long-range goal, the partners
have funded six Resource Centers for Minority Aging Research.
The Resource Centers are as follows:
Center for Aging in Diverse Populations
University of California at San Francisco
Description: The purpose of the center is to decrease racial
disparities in health by focusing on research in disease prevention,
health promotion, and disability prevention for African American
and Latino elderly.
http://medicine.ucsf.edu
Center on Minority Aging
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Description: The Center's primary focus is building the capacity
of investigators at local traditionally black colleges and universities
to conduct research relating to elder African Americans.
http://www.unc.edu/depts/cmaweb
Columbia Center for Active Life of Minority Elders
Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center
Description: The Center offers opportunity, support and guidance
for minority researchers. The Center directs its research toward
narrowing and, if possible, eliminating gaps in health status
and care, that presently exist between Latino, African American,
and majority elders.
http://cpmcnet.columbia.edu/dept/calme
Native Elder Research Center
University of Colorado Health Sciences Center
Description: The mission of the Native Elder Research Center
is to promote the health and well-being of aging American Indians
and Alaska Natives by pursuing research, training, continuing
education, technical assistance, and information dissemination
within a biopsychosocial framework that recognizes the unique
cultural contexts of this special population.
http://www.uchsc.edu/sm/nerc
Michigan Center for Urban African American Aging Research
Wayne State University and the University of Michigan
Description: The Center is working together with urban communities,
to promote healthy lifestyles among older African American adults
through research, education, and community empowerment.
http://mcuaaar.iog.wayne.edu
Resource Center for African American Aging Research
Henry Ford Health System
Description: It is the goal of the Resource Center for African
American Aging Research to improve the quality of life of individuals
residing in the tri-county area surrounding Detroit by reducing
disparities in health status and treatment outcomes among racial
and ethnic communities. In addition, the Center aims to develop
and disseminate information regarding techniques for recruitment
and retention of minority subjects and to develop minority investigators
with expertise in aging research.
http://www.henryfordhealth.org/body.cfm?id=39784
Institute on Aging
University of Pennsylvania
Description: The Institute manages the SHARE awards sponsored
by SmithKline Beechan for a total of $1.5 million each year. The
awards are given to organizations that provide culturally sensitive
health care and improve the health of older adults who face barriers
due to race, ethnicity, or cultural differences.
http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/aging/
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