LatinaLista — According to the most recent data from the Administration on Aging, the number of Latino senior citizens stood at 2.7 million in 2008. Latino senior citizens comprise 6.8 percent of the total senior population.
It’s projected that by 2019 Latino senior citizens, aged 65 and over, will be the largest racial/ethnic group in this age category. It means that communities will be pressed to provide services to a population that has distinct cultural, language and medical needs.
In Waterbury, Connecticut in 1972, some visionary people saw how Latino senior citizens in their community needed the kind of attention and services that were culturally and linguistically relevant to meet their needs.
They launched La Casa Bienvenida Senior Center. With only a handful of staff, La Casa Bienvenida Senior Center serves the low-income Hispanic elderly community of the local Waterbury area.
Providing activities and referrals to the elderly they serve, the center helps their clients enjoy la vida in their Golden Years.
