A Spanish Language Care Center for Hispanic Seniors by carlos matías
Ninetta Regalado has lived in Alaska for over twenty years. She lives in Anchorage, where she worked for 15 years at Catholic Social Services, exclusively with the Refugee Assistance and Immigration Services Program. She has now been retired for three years. But she wants to continue volunteering and has told Rebecca Parker, Executive Director of the Anchorage Senior Center, that she wants to propose a Spanish-language Senior Care Center for Hispanic seniors.
“In Alaska there is a huge gap in care for immigrant seniors, especially Hispanic seniors. Because they don’t speak English, they can’t access the activities and services that English-speaking seniors have. I want there to be a Spanish-language Care Center for Hispanic seniors.”
Ninetta Regalado is Dominican. When she came to the United States she worked in social services in New York City, assisting undocumented immigrants and helping the homeless, as well as caring for AIDS patients. Then she moved to Massachusetts, where she still worked in social services. “I was working for the Catholic Social Services of the church, which had been commissioned by the Federal government to protect refugees, in a program developed from Washington, DC.”
At the time of this interview, Ninetta was in Florida due to family reasons. She had spent a few days with her daughter in the Dominican Republic. Ninetta’s daughter is deeply rooted in the United States, where she served in the US Navy. But Ninetta returned to Alaska. “Anchorage is my home and I want to help organize activities for seniors who only speak Spanish. In May 2020, we did a presentation of this type of service. But the pandemic cut it all short. I think it’s time to restart the initiative.”
Ninetta points out that “Hispanic seniors are very lonely. They come as part of a migrant family. Families that leave home every day to go to work. They are isolated, watching TV channels that broadcast in Spanish, because they don’t understand English. They spend the day sitting in front of the television. They lead sedentary lives, and their legs swell up. They don’t go out anywhere, not even to church, because they are not used to the cold climate of Alaska and walking on ice in the streets.” “They come from warm countries: the Caribbean, Mexico and all of Latin America... Older Alaskans know how to walk in the snow because they’ve done it all their lives. But elderly Hispanics don’t. Some had never seen snow before coming to Alaska.”
Under these circumstances, depression, anxiety, boredom, and cognitive decline take their toll on these grandparents. They can’t even talk to their grandchildren because some of them only speak English. “It’s a very sad situation.” “Our elderly also pay taxes. They have the right to go to centers that offer dance events, go to the gym, play bingo, use computers, have fun at community parties and luncheons, enjoy musical performances... just like English-speaking seniors.”
“Rebecca Parker, Executive Director of the Municipality’s Anchorage Senior Center, has acknowledged to me that there is a significant lack of facilities for Hispanic seniors. I don’t mean to say that Governor Dunleavy and Mayor Bronson don’t want to do more for them. But they can do more because they don’t take care of them now.” “I want to be involved in a project to care for Hispanic seniors. There are resources for it. In Florida and other states there are many activities in Spanish. But not in Anchorage.”
