Long-Term Care and Ethnicity

Despite the rapid aging of the population and the tremendous growth in ethnic and racial diversity among the elderly in our society, empirical studies on long-term care needs and service use of minority elders have been lacking. Based on two national datasets, this is the first comprehensive analysis of long-term care needs, patterns, and determinants of in-home, community-based, and nursing home service utilization and informal support among African American and Hispanic elders, as compared to those of their non-Hispanic White counterparts. The authors also compare caregiver burden within the three groups and present recommendations for ethnic-sensitive long-term care policy and practice for minority elders.

ADA C. MUI is an Associate Professor at the Columbia University School of Social Work. Her professional interests are social gerontology, cross-cultural research methodology, quality of life, mental health, and support systems among frail elders, older persons living alone, and ethnic elderly populations.

NAMKEE G. CHOI is an Associate Professor at the School of Social Work, SUNY at Buffalo, where she teaches social policy, aging policy, and research methods. Her research has been in the areas of racial and gender differences in the elderly's economic status, retirement patterns, living arrangements, and social service utilization.

ABRAHAM MONK is Professor of Social Work and Gerontology at the Columbia University School of Social Work. He has served as consultant or advisor to numerous public and voluntary agencies. He is the author or editor of 10 books, including The Columbia Retirement Handbook (1994).