Minority Group Status, Health Transitions, and Community Living Arrangements among the Elderly

Abstract

This study examines patterns of change in functional capacity among Black and non-Latino White older persons over a 4-year period using the 1988 Longitudinal Study of Aging. The results reveal that among all three groups, improvements in functional capacity often follow declines, but they also show that Blacks are more likely than non-Latino Whites to suffer protracted declines in functional capacity, ultimately resulting in more serious incapacity. The central objective of the article is the development of a conceptual model to identify those factors that account for racial and ethnic group differences in health and functional capacity as well as the documented greater propensity of Black and Latino elderly to rely on informal sources of support in the community rather than on formal long-term care.