B. Miller et al., MINORITY USE OF COMMUNITY LONG-TERM-CARE SERVICES - A COMPARATIVE-ANALYSIS, The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences, 51(2), 1996, pp. 70-81
A series of national surveys since 1982 have examined health needs of
elders. Small proportions of minority elders in each sample have limit
ed our understanding of service use by minorities. This research sough
t to determine (1) the extent to which minorities have restricted use
of community long-term care services as a result of socioeconomic stat
us, family structure, and health status, and (2) the replicability and
validity of results across three national surveys: Supplement on Agin
g, National Long-Term Care, and National Medical Expenditure. Results
indicate no bivariate or multivariate differences between African Amer
ican, Hispanic, or White frail older persons in use of community long-
term services. Living arrangements, Medicaid use, and overall health a
nd functional status were primary predictors of service use. Taking me
thodological limitations into account, the results suggest similarity
in processes influencing use of community long-term care services for
African American and White older persons.