Living Arrangements and Cognitive Impairment in Mexican-Origin Older Adults in the United States and Mexico

Phillip A. Cantu , University of Texas
Jacqueline Angel, University of Texas at Austin
Mariana López-Ortega, INGER
Silvia Mejia Arango, El Colegio de la Frontera Norte
Ronald Angel, University of Texas at Austin

Aim: This study examines living arrangements of older adults with cognitive impairment in the Hispanic-EPESE and the Mexican Health and Aging Study (MHAS). Methods: Our sample includes 1,072 adults 80 years and older from the HEPSE and 1,481 from the MHAS. We create a typology of living arrangements consisting of marital status and household size using wave 7 (2010-2011) of the H-EPESE and wave 3 (2012) of the MHAS. Results: Respondents in the HEPESE were twice as likely to live in non-extended households as respondents in the MHAS. About one-fifth of the cognitively impaired in the HEPESE lives alone, while only 12% of the cognitively impaired in the MHAS lived alone. Conclusion: We discuss the extent of social support measures used as well as methodological implications of cognitive evaluations used in both studies.

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 Presented in Session 205. Cross-National Comparisons on Disability and Cognitive Health