All Alzheimer’s Caregivers Are Not Created Equal
Professor, St. David’s School of Nursing at Texas State University Round Rock Campus.
Lyda C. Arévalo-Flechas, PhD, MSN, RN has earned a reputation for cutting edge research on the factors influencing Latino/Hispanic caregivers‘ perception of the experience of caring for a relative with Alzheimer‘s disease nationally and internationally. Her nursing career spans more than 25 years, including working as an operating room nurse, teaching university students and becoming a researcher. Her passion for research was triggered when she started working with Hispanic/Latino caregivers and realized the gap in cultural and linguistic needs required to address this growing population.
Born in Bogotá, Colombia, Dr. Arévalo-Flechas‘ research interests include Latino/Hispanic caregiving, the concepts of caregiver satisfaction and duty fulfillment, and formulation of culturally informed theory of caregiving. Dr. Arévalo-Flechas is a bilingual and bicultural investigator with special interest in the cultural and linguistic competency of intervention programs for Latinos/Hispanics. She is very active in mentoring nursing students in the planning and implementation of community outreach, service learning programs, and study abroad experiences. She travels to Latin American countries every year leading groups of students in health professions to volunteer in medically underserved areas. Her teaching areas of interest are focused on gerontology, medical Spanish, and cultural competence in the delivery of health care services. Dr. Arévalo-Flechas is one of a handful of Hispanic doctorally prepared registered nurses in the nation.
Dr. Arévalo-Flechas received her BSN from State University of New York at Binghamton, and her MSN and PhD from The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. She has received numerous awards and accolades, including a feature in the San Antonio Business Journal as a Healthcare Hero.
