Learning Objective #1: Discuss changes in acculturation that increase the likelihood of nursing home admission for aging Mexican American individuals

Learning Objective #2: Describe the significance of culturally competent nutrition care, its role in these residents’ satisfaction with food/food service, and its consequences on quality of life

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Mexican-American families expect to care for aging parents at home despite their declining cognitive and physical function. However, smaller families, divorce, female employment, and long-distance migration increase the likelihood of admission to nursing homes for these older persons, who may speak only Spanish (Angel, Angel, Aranda, & Miles, 2004). Health disparities (e.g. hypertension and diabetes) further increase caregiver burden and overwhelm committed family caregivers (Haan, et al., 2003). Culturally competent care for such elders includes traditional foods which directly impact quality of life (Cain & Mueller, 2001; Evans, Crogan, & Shultz, 2003). However, even non-Hispanic residents have had little voice in their own nutrition care (Rantz, et al., 1999), and culturally congruent food/food service for Mexican-American residents has not been addressed.

A food/food service satisfaction instrument in Spanish could determine food preferences. A validated instrument measuring these parameters from the resident's perspective (Crogan & Evans, 2004) was translated into Sonoran Mexican-American Spanish (for the population in Arizona nursing homes). Results from a certified translator (Mexican-American, native Spanish speaker of Sonoran origin) and a second translator with similar credentials (for blind back-translation) were examined for errors in meaning (Jones, Lee, Phillips, Zhang, & Jaceldo, 2001). Errors were reconciled and the instrument was again blind-translated. After providing demographic data and completing an acculturation scale, one bilingual Mexican-American group of Sonoran origin completed the English version, while another completed the Spanish. One week later, each group completed the instrument in the other language. The resultant mean score and SDs for each item and each subscale were obtained and paired sample t-tests for mean differences and coefficient alphas were calculated. Items with low correlations were re-examined for errors in meaning, re-translated, and re-tested in order to obtain cultural fit (Hendrickson, 2003; Phillips, et al., 1996). The validated instrument will be presented at the session