Chinese elderly people in Phoenix

Chinese elderly people in Phoenix (Alberta Times) There is no doubt that the United States is a very diverse country. In the United States, you can see people of all colors everywhere and experience different...

Chinese seniors in Phoenix (Alberta Times) There is no doubt that the United States is a very diverse country. In the United States, you can see people of all colors everywhere and experience different cultures. Most people who have lived in the United States find life in the United States very peaceful. Indeed, what you can see in the United States on the surface is intertwined highways, speeding cars, empty streets, and tall buildings. However, behind the scenes, it is difficult to imagine the struggle and helplessness of such a group of people. First, let me introduce myself. I'm from Liangshan, Sichuan. In September 2009, he came to the United States as a high school exchange student. Currently a sophomore at the Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University. Since my first semester in college, I have been fortunate enough to join Dr. Fei Sun, an assistant professor in the Department of Social Work at Arizona State University, in his research project on how Chinese families care for Alzheimer’s patients. Perhaps like many other Chinese students who come to the United States to study, I always thought that Chinese in the United States should live a relatively prosperous life. However, not all Chinese immigrants to the United States can live the so-called prosperous American life. On the contrary, many Chinese, especially some elderly people, live a very difficult life. For some Chinese whose families have Alzheimer’s patients, life is even more challenging. For research purposes, we need at least 25 family caregivers who are currently caring for Alzheimer's patients. At first, I couldn’t imagine that we would be able to find so many families in Phoenix. Firstly, I know very little about this disease and think it is uncommon. Second, I thought there were not many families like this in the Chinese community in Phoenix. Of course, it is not easy to find such a family because the Chinese here are very scattered. In order to find such families, we contacted many Chinese institutions and contacted many elderly people. Because of language barriers and cultural differences, the elderly here stay at home except for going to church or senior centers. There's nothing more they can do. They also cannot enjoy family time with their families like the elderly in China, because in the United States, their children are busy making a living. In fact, the vast majority of Chinese elderly people live on their own. One can imagine how lonely and helpless they feel. For families with Alzheimer’s disease at home, we can’t imagine how difficult their lives are. Over the past year, I have come into contact with a number of these family caregivers. Most of them are older Chinese, taking care of elderly people at home suffering from Alzheimer's disease. During the interview, I was so shocked. I never thought that in the United States, in this peaceful and peaceful city, there would be such a group of old people living such a difficult life. Not only do they have to take care of themselves, but they also have to take care of their family members who have Alzheimer's disease. Honoring parents and taking care of them in their old age are traditional virtues of the Chinese nation. However, in the United States, in such a competitive society, young people need more time to focus on their careers. At the same time, influenced by Chinese culture, most Chinese are unwilling to send their elderly to nursing homes like Americans, even if they suffer from Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, the responsibility for caring for the sick falls on the elderly themselves. The difficulties and stress experienced by family caregivers are unimaginable. We try to understand their difficulties and pressures through interviews, provide them with useful social resources, and help them relieve their pressure. Of course, in order to provide them with useful information and ways to relieve stress, we must know what their difficulties are and where their stress comes from. Difficulties for caregivers are many. The first is physical. We can imagine how difficult it is for the elderly to take care of the elderly. Some patients cannot move at all, and some do not know what they are doing at all. Caregivers must be responsible for all daily life, including three meals a day, going to the bathroom, cleaning, dressing, etc. It is unimaginable that caregivers should bear so much care work, not to mention that many caregivers themselves are not very healthy. Second, financial difficulties are also common. Most families rely on a little pension, and even more families rely on government social security, pensions, etc. Their stress also comes from psychological aspects. Many caregivers refuse to believe that their loved ones have become like this. Many patients keep repeating the questions they have asked, and some even no longer recognize their family members, which brings great psychological pressure to caregivers. Caregivers are also under many different pressures, such as family relationships, time conflicts, social life, etc. The elderly are society's responsibility, and the elderly suffering from Alzheimer's disease are society's responsibility even more. We may not be able to prevent Alzheimer's disease yet, but we have a responsibility and society has a responsibility to help these elderly people, help their caregivers relieve stress, and provide them with useful social resources. That's why our research project is working to provide Chinese family caregivers in Phoenix with information about social resources and ways to relieve stress. If you are caring for a family member with Alzheimer’s disease, or know someone close to you, please contact us. My email is: bywangcong@gmail.com.