Racial disparity apparent in long-term care

A “resegregation of sorts” is occurring in theworld of eldercare, according to a news report. Elderly black peopleincreasingly are likely to be in nursing homes while older whites more oftenreside in assisted living facilities.

As of 2004, almost 1 in 20 elderly black people lived innursing homes, compared with nearly 1 in 30 whites, according to the NationalCenter for Health Statistics, a story in the Orlando Sentinel reported. Thismarks a shift from the 1970s when large, extended black families would care for older members and whites were twice as likely as blacks to be in nursinghomes.

Changes in the black community have resulted in children settling farther from home. Nursing homes sometimes are the onlyoption for frail parents. Financial disparities are also a major factor, according to the report. Many blacks cannot afford assisted living. Because they are statistically less likely to have health insurance or retirementsavings, they must therefore rely on Medicaid-funded long-term care.