The Utilization of Social Services by the Mexican-American Elderly

One of the knowledge gaps in empirical research on utilization of service is that little attention has been given to testing causal models of use among the various ethnic elderly groups. The purpose of this study is to analyze the pattern of determinants of social service use among the Mexican-American elderly. A causal model of social service use was tested using a subsample of data obtained from a national needs assessment interview of 1,805 randomly selected noninstitutionalized elderly Hispanics. The findings, indicate that knowledge of social services, need for social services, perceived health status and income have direct effects on the use of social services. The major findings are discussed in relationship to past empirical research.