Sociocultural support systems of elderly Mexican-Americans: implications for health and transcultural nursing care

This paper considers the sociocultural support system of 20 elderly Mexican-American people. The purpose of the research was to describe the properties of the sociocultural support system according to the structural availability and opportunity for support and the international or supportive bonds within the support system. Also considered was the effect of the system of health and health care as well as transcultural nursing care implications in relation to the elderly Mexican-American and his support system. It was found that the informants' supportive contracts were formed on the basis of proximity, kinship and ritual kinship ties, long-standing friendship, and church affiliation. Their supportive interactions consisted of (1) positive interpersonal exchanges, (2) intimacy, (3) self-care through interaction with other, (4) shared norms and experiences, (4) rituals, and (6) instrumental support. The support system appeared to have a positive effect on health and care in several interrelated ways, including (1) provision of group membership and ongoing simulating relationships that entail significant physical and social activity that could help to eliminate depression, (2) access to a structure where useful role activities are available, (3) provision of economic and health care interventions that decrease need for institutional care, and (4) an emphasis on values reflecting interdependence and sharing of material and social resources especially among family members. Collaboration between the professional health care system and the sociocultural support system was discussed and encouraged as a way to provide more effective and culturally appropriate health car