Supporting People as the Age
Aging in Two Different Cultures: Somali Elder Care in Minnesota
There are challenges and opportunities in aging care for the Somali community in new cultural environments, while upholding their deeply- ingrained values and culture of close-knit family support systems. The Somali Parents Autism Network (SPAN) is a nonprofit disability advocacy organization that helps parents navigate the services and support systems. We often get calls and messages from Somali elders or parents with adult children diagnosed with developmental disabilities. They are looking for culturally- appropriate care facilities. In the process, the SPAN team learned how difficult it is to find culturally- appropriate facilities for Somali seniors and adults with developmental disabilities. I would like to describe a few important things that direct support professionals (DSPs) can learn about our culture.
Mahdi Warsama
Value of Providing Care in Home Settings
In the United States, aging care settings typically include residential care or nursing homes that provide 24-hour services to seniors, home care agencies that offer medical assistance in elders' homes, and adult daycares that provide seniors basic care in a supervised setting during the day. These care settings are largely unfamiliar to the Somali community. These facilities do not exist in the Horn of Africa. Rooted in Islamic and Somali tradition, it is the responsibility of children or next of kin to care for aging parents and relatives. Care is provided in the most convenient home setting. This can be the caregiver’s home or the aging person’s residence. As a result, the Somali community in Minnesota and elsewhere continues to care for seniors at home. The Somali community is hesitant to send relatives to nursing homes. Even unaccompanied elders with no relatives in the U.S. rarely use nursing homes. They typically only use them as a last resort. Many Somalis fear the unknown and worry about cultural barriers. Many Somalis worry about the meals, religious accommodation, and the wellbeing of their relatives in nursing homes. Consequently, nursing home use by Somali seniors in Minnesota is minimal compared to their extensive use of adult daycare and home care services.
What Direct Support Professionals (DSP) Need to Know
DSPs need to understand that many Somali seniors may be disoriented, homesick, and depressed due to lack of physical activity, loneliness, or environmental changes. This is particularly serious for Somalis who arrived in the United States as seniors. Somalia has a tropical and hot semi-desert climate. Many Somali seniors struggle with Minnesota's winters. This leads them to being homebound, which can result in anxiety, depression, and lack of physical activity and socialization. For some, being inactive may result in joint pain and arthritis symptoms. As a result, some people return to Somalia temporarily or permanently. DSPs supporting aging people in the Somali community should consider how to support people to remain active, particularly during the winter. This may include indoor group exercises or walking indoors while providing culturally- appropriate services.
Deeply ingrained Somali and Islamic traditions emphasize caring for aging parents and relatives, which fosters a "no senior is left behind" mentality. This ensures many seniors receive kinship care, companionship, and unwavering support.
Despite these challenges, there are opportunities and support systems that can meet many seniors’ needs. Deeply ingrained Somali and Islamic traditions emphasize caring for aging parents and relatives. The tradition fosters a "no senior is left behind" mentality. This ensures many seniors receive kinship care, companionship, and unwavering support from others in their community. Community members may play important roles in supporting seniors.
Existing Support Facilities
Somali tea shops also serve as a vital support system. Seniors socialize, exchange information about their homeland, and engage in political discussions. Somali tea shops are somewhat like American coffee shops, but many aging Somalis visit tea shops regularly to meet with community members to socialize and find friends. There's anecdotal evidence that these tea shops provide stress relief and valuable time to socialize with others for Somali seniors. However, there is a need for supervision with choosing foods.
Another important support system is Somali- owned adult daycares. These provide supportive settings for seniors to socialize, receive traditional meals, engage in mental and physical activities, and get religious accommodation. Aging people have opportunities to connect with others, have conversations, play games, and attend events in their communities. Traditional meals are served, and there is plenty of time to break for prayers and fasting based on our traditions.
Future Planning for Our Children Diagnosed with Neurodevelopmental Disorders
A major concern for many Somali parents with children diagnosed with neurodevelopmental disorders is future planning for children with disabilities. The concern is, who will care for aging individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders when their parents are no longer able to provide care? This is, especially concerning given the current lack of culturally- appropriate senior facilities for Somali seniors with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Without proper planning, the future is very bleak when they become seniors needing 24-hour care. More culturally- appropriate support and policies are needed to connect Somali seniors to support systems.
As more people in the Somali community age, more culturally- appropriate community living settings for neurotypical Somali seniors and for neurodiverse individuals will be needed. It is crucial to establish a foundation for robust planning and discussions to address the needs of the neurodiverse population before the system becomes overwhelmed.
References
Omar, M. A. (2015). Somali Elder Care: A guide for healthcare in the West. Culminating Projects in Gerontology. 1. https://repository.stcloudstate.edu/gero_etds/1
Wilhide, A. (2018). “Somali and Somali American experiences in Minnesota.” MNopedia, Minnesota Historical Society. https://www3.mnhs.org/mnopedia/search/index/somali-and-somali-american-experiences-minnesota
Opoku, E. A. (2022). Dementia care among Somali elders [Master’s alternative plan paper, Minnesota
State University, Mankato]. Cornerstone: A Collection of Scholarly and Creative Works for Minnesota State
University, Mankato. https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/etds/1271/