Do Characteristics Associated With Nursing Home Residents Vary by Race/Ethnicity?

Abstract

This study identifies differences in the predisposing, enabling, and need characteristics of racial/ethnic minorities and non-Hispanic white men and women upon nursing home admission. The data come from the 1999 National Nursing Home Survey of Current Residents and contain 3,798 women of color, 3,787 men of color, 18,719 non-Hispanic white men, and 36,900 non-Hispanic white women. We estimated prevalence differences and 95% confidence intervals for the absolute differences in prevalence. Women of color in nursing homes are more likely than non-Hispanic white women in nursing homes to be bedfast and require assistance with dressing and money management. Men of color in nursing homes are more likely than non-Hispanic white men in nursing homes to require assistance with eating, care of possessions, managing money, securing personal items, and using the telephone. The overall finding suggests that people of color in nursing homes have greater impairments than non-Hispanic whites in nursing homes, and that men of color in nursing homes have greater impairment than any other race or gender categories.

Are There Racial-Ethnic Disparities in Time to Pressure Ulcer Development and Pressure Ulcer Treatment in Older Adults After Nursing Home Admission?

“…Black admissions had greater comorbidities and worse functional or cognitive status than White Non-Hispanics, and a greater percentage of Blacks had fecal incontinence. These findings are consistent with other reports that Black admissions have greater care needs when they enter NHs due to poorer health (Buchanan, Rosenthal, Graber, Wang, & Kim, 2008; Davis & Lapane, 2004; Weintraub et al, 2000). A significant predictor at the NH level of time to a pressure ulcer was a higher number of quality care deficiencies of the NH.…”

Statistical Approaches to Assessing Health and Healthcare Disparities

“…Black and White individuals admitted to NHs have different health characteristics (Buchanan, Rosenthal, Graber, Wang, & Kim, 2008;Davis & Lapane, 2004). Racial differences in incident PU rates may arise because of differences between race groups in risk factors for PU.…”

Multicultural competence in geropsychology.

“…Although some have conjectured that the strength of the family system evident in many minority communities may facilitate longer residence in the community, after controlling for degree of impairment this remains more a matter of speculation than a fact-based conclusion. What is known is that members of minority groups are generally admitted in more impaired conditions than are non-Hispanic Whites (Davis & Lapane, 2004;Pourat et al, 2001).…”