The first national needs assessment of Hispanic elderly represents a response to the research findings which indicate lower participation rates in social programs and more limited access to social services among older Hispanics than among aged Americans in general. This report provides a descriptive analysis of the problems and needs of four main subqroups of older Hispanics: Cuban Americans, Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, and other Hispanics in relation to the following areas: (1) health services; (2) housing needs; (3) social services; (4) transportation; (5) crime; (6) community involvement; (7) nutrition; and (8) discrimination barriers. The report discusses the influence of each of the subgroup classifications and cites the following as major findings of the study: (1) older Hispanics exhibit characteristics of both homogeneity and heterogeneity; (2) older Hispanics reported relatively low use of social services, with a high discrepancy reported between use and need; (3) only 55 percent of older Hispanics aged 65 years and over receive Social Security retirement; (4) whereas informal network supports are available for many older Hispanics, as measured in terms of visits with children, relatives and friends, only 4.2 percent of older Hispanics receive financial support from family members on a regular basis; and (5) arthritis is the most prevalent ailment among older Hispanics, followed by high blood pressure, heart trouble and circulation problems. (Author/JCD)