Associate Professor Shinyi Wu is on a mission to minimize the burden of care for Alzheimer’s caregivers in Latino communities by identifying and addressing gaps in health literacy.
According to the Population Reference Bureau, the number of Americans age 65 and older is expected to more than double by 2060. What’s more, the Administration on Aging estimates that between 2008 and 2030 the Latino population age 65 years and older will increase by 224 percent—compared to a 65 percent increase for the non-Latino white population.
These demographic changes will present new hurdles in areas ranging from public policy to economics. One of the most pressing challenges will be meeting the health care needs of this aging population. In honor of National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month, we spoke with Shinyi Wu, associate professor at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work and senior scientist with the USC Edward R. Roybal Institute on Aging, who is conducting research on the disparities in health literacy among caregivers of Latino Alzheimer’s patients.