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LOS ANGELES – Half a dozen students, mostly Latinas aged 40 to 80, gather in a Los Angeles Park gymnasium to warm up, stretch their muscles, move their arms, parade on the spot, give punching and stopping intermittently to take their heart rate.
Those who can stand up during their training one hour apart. Those who can not sit during certain exercises.
"Latinas do not take time for ourselves," said Marta Lorenz, 50, of East Los Angeles, in Spanish after classes. "We always want to take care of everyone else. I have learned that we must take care of ourselves. If we do not do it, how are we going to look after others? "
Statistically, American Latinas can expect a long life. At age 84, life expectancy in Latin America is second only to Americans of Asian descent (85.8 years), tied with Americans of Asian descent.
But experts point out that a longer life can lead to health and financial problems, and that Latinas tend to be poorer and rely heavily on social security for their retirement income.
In addition, Latinas, like all Hispanics, have much higher rates of diseases such as diabetes and Alzheimer's disease.
"Latinas and the Latin American community are facing a perfect storm in terms of social and demographic trends," said Fernando Torres-Gil, professor and director of the Luskin Center for Policy Research on Aging in the United States. University of California at Los Angeles.
Latinos, for example, constitute the largest minority group in the country with 18%. The Latin American population aged 65 and over is expected to increase by 224%, compared to 65% more among non-Latino whites, according to the Administration on Age.
While Latinas have the gift of longevity, men of Hispanic origin do not, reaching an average age of 79.2 years, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Other communities are even worse. Non-Hispanic white men live on average at 76.5, white women at 81.1, black non-Hispanic men at 72 and non-Hispanic black women at 78.1.
"Will the United States be ready by 2050, when the elderly population will have doubled and we will be a majority-minority society?" Asked Jacqueline Angel, professor of public affairs and sociology at The University of Texas at Austin, and co-author of the 2018 book with Torres-Gil entitled "The Politics of a Minority Minority Country: Aging, Diversity and Immigration".
First- and second-generation Latinos tend to have better health outcomes than their non-Hispanic white counterparts in the US, despite their lower socio-economic status than the so-called Hispanic paradox. Among his explanations, Latino immigrants tend to be healthier, not to smoke, to drink less, to be active and to have close family and social ties, said Angel.
"On the other hand, the Hispanic paradox declines with subsequent generations and we are seeing a lower life expectancy and higher rates of Alzheimer's disease, cardiovascular disease and diabetes," said Angel.
The Edward R. Roybal Institute on Aging at the University of Southern California predicts that the number of Latinos suffering from Alzheimer's disease could reach 3.5 million by 2060. Latinos are also almost twice as likely non-Hispanic whites to be diagnosed with diabetes. percent more likely to die of diabetes as non-Hispanic whites.
Two other factors also affect the long-term prospects for the aging of Latinas: ethnicity and age at immigration. For example, Angel said that some subgroups, like Cuban-Americans, tend to be richer, which gives them more health care options. Immigrants who arrive in the United States in middle age may feel socially and emotionally isolated as they get older and have difficulty navigating in all areas, from transportation to the health system.
"Living long can be a double-edged sword, great if you're healthy, but less blessed if you're sick and isolated from the last 20 years of your life," Angel said.
"We need to develop more culturally appropriate interventions," Angel said. "I'm not just talking about a clinic. I speak of being sensitive to the fact that Latinos are not a monolithic group. Some are incorporated economically and culturally and others do not. Some speak English, others do not. Some are recent immigrants, some are not.
Changes in family structure also affect the care provided to older Latins. For example, Latinas are the traditional caretakers of parents, husbands and children, but this is changing as professional and economic opportunities multiply and women take jobs away from their families, Torres-Gil said. .
Financial challenges
The financial challenges Latinas face are striking. Twenty-five per cent of Latin Americans over the age of 65 live in poverty and without social security, this figure would rise to 60 per cent, according to LULAC (American League of Citizens). Social security is the only source of income for 40% of unmarried Latinas, and 81% of unmarried Latinas depend on it for most of their retirement income, LULAC reported.
The first step is to protect Social Security and programs such as Medicare, said Torres-Gil. "This is the main social safety net for Latinas," said Torres-Gil, especially for those whose earnings were legal and were not able to save enough, as well as for those who had problems health as you get older.
A report published in 2018 by the National Institute on Retirement Security revealed that 69% of working Latin American workers have no assets in a retirement account, compared to 37% of white households. Only 30.9% of Latin American workers participate in retirement plans, compared to 53% of white workers, and the average savings of a retirement account for Latin American workers is less than one. third of the average retirement savings of white workers.
Experts say this leads to a crucial step – financial literacy. "We need to inform Latinas that they must first take charge and plan their financial security at an advanced age," said Torres-Gil.
Elaine King, a Miami-based graduate financial planner based in Miami and founder of the Family Money Matters Institute, recommends that Latinas create a retirement account at the age of 20 and pay a small fee. contribution. The key is to do it regularly and make it a habit.
In their thirties, Latinas should create a parallel company, recommends King. If there is no clear business plan, selling on eBay or Etsy to qualify for the tax benefits of the deduction and add income is an element to consider. From the age of 40, Latinas should give priority to big goals, such as real estate that can generate passive income, increase the funds allocated to the education of children or, especially, save for retirement.
"There is [student] loans for children, not ready for retirement, "said King, stressing the importance of saving for the elderly.
From age 50, Latinas should resist the urge to give children a car or down payment for a home if the pension plan is not fully funded, and make sure that contributions will be paid in full in the coming years. Latinas should start thinking about long-term care insurance as medical bills can quickly deplete savings. Beginning at age 60, women should start planning their estates, including developing their health care guidelines, a family trust, or a will.
"Women tend to care about others before themselves," King said. "The challenge is to place yourself at least at the same level of priority as your loved ones. Take care of yourself to take care of others.
Cultivate healthy aging habits
While policies and public finances may seem daunting, the last step – working for "healthy aging" – is a goal within the reach of a person. This requires a commitment to regular exercise, moderate drinking, no smoking, a healthy diet and a support system.
Susana Moncada, 60, of Huntington Park, a suburb of Los Angeles, spoke about her fight against diabetes after exercise. She changed her diet and learned to better manage her stress, which allowed her to lower her blood sugar and alleviate her chronic headaches.
"I wanted to be a super-wife," she says. "Now, I want to place myself first for the children, my grandchildren and my community. My life has changed. It has slowed down. I did not have the habit of sleeping, thinking of what I had to do the next day. I learned to relax.
This article was written with the support of a journalism scholarship from the American Society of Gerontology, the Network of Journalists on the Generations and the John A. Hartford Foundation.
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