Aging & Social Change: Eleventh Interdisciplinary Conference

Abstract

In the last three decades (1990-2020), many elderly Africans now call the United States their new homeland. However, many of them are socially isolated and do not qualify for many of the means-tested programs. This is narrative research exploring elderly Africans living in a Midwestern state in the USA. Social isolation has been identified as a silent killer of many elderly in the United States. Identified as one of the twelve grand challenges for social work, the perils or impact of social isolation on older adults and the importance of human connection were noted. Over the years, there have been many African elderly immigrants who now call Minnesota their new homeland. This paper shares qualitative narrative research that explored the lives of 14 elderly African immigrants in Minnesota as it relates to aging in the diaspora. The study found a significant lack of social connection that culminated in health conditions such as depression, adjustment disorder, limited cognitive functioning, diabetes, other debilitating health conditions, and some study participants’ ardent desire to return to their homelands. The study considers social work research, education, and practice implications.