POST-HOSPITAL HOME CARE FOR AFRICAN-AMERICAN AND WHITE ELDERLY

This study of 208 chronically ill African-American and white elderly e ntering home care after hospitalization examined race differences in i nformal and formal services received and adequacy of care. Controlling for marital status, interference in activities from chronic condition s, socioeconomic status, age, and gender in regression analyses, Afric an-Americans received significantly fewer hours of formal care per wee k but received significantly more hours of informal care per week from the primary caregiver. However, there was a tendency for African-Amer icans to rate their care as less adequate. Implications of the finding s for practice, policy, and research are discussed.