Satisfaction with care among elderly African American and white residents of adult care facilities

Satisfaction with long-term care has received the attention of academics, p olicymakers, and the general public. However, little attention has been pai d to ethnic differences in satisfaction, despite the increasing proliferati on of long-term care options and minority representation in such facilities . The authors find that ethnic differences exist in satisfaction with adult care homes. Dependency, satisfaction with health, resident involvement in placement decisions, home type, and percentage of private rooms vary in the ir impact on satisfaction by ethnicity. Predictors of satisfaction within g roups are primarily intra/interpersonal versus organizational characteristi cs. African Americans are more affected than Whites by organizational facto rs. Different predictors of satisfaction by ethnicity may indicate that eld ers bring different life experiences, cultural beliefs, and expectations wi th regard to long-term care that may influence their degree of satisfaction . Service delivery in long-term care institutions should be aware of the un ique experiences of their residents and implement services to ensure optima l satisfaction and care.