Unfortunately, the eighty-seven percent of African American informal elder caregivers who do not self-identify as such may unintentionally hamper the receipt of much needed support from formal eldercare providers and health care professionals. Based on the lack of caregiver self-identification, formal eldercare providers and health care professionals may not acknowledge them in that capacity as well, and not consider the caregiver as part of the care recipients’ care team. If this is assumed by formal eldercare providers and health care professionals, this may trigger an appraisal that the African American elder caregiver has no decision-making authority concerning their care recipient, which may lead to marginalization. Another disadvantage