This quote is from a research paper that highlighted the importance of eliminating health disparities in order to promote “graceful aging (1)”. Generally speaking, the facilitation of “graceful aging” for racial minorities has been particularly challenging. Prevailing racial disparities in nursing home care quality exemplify this reality. In recent years, though there have been some improvements in nursing home care quality, Blacks are still more likely to receive suboptimal care in nursing homes, compared to Whites (2). For instance, a nationally representative study in the U.S. found influenza and pneumococcal vaccination rates to be lower among Black nursing home residents compared to Whites, indicating potential racial disparities in the reception of preventative care (3). Blacks are also more likely to be admitted to poor quality nursing homes than Whites (4). There also tend to be racial disparities in psychosocial wellbeing among nursing home residents, as determined by lower social engagement among Blacks versus Whites (5). These statistics are particularly alarming provided that the proportion of Blacks aged 65 and older who live in nursing homes has increased dramatically, while the number of Whites in nursing homes has reduced (6). …show more content…
This paper will focus on three particular challenges to racially equitable care in nursing homes : 1) de facto segregation; 2) the concentration of Blacks in Medicaid-dependent nursing homes; and 3) inadequate regulatory practices to curb racial discrimination. Furthermore, this paper will provide potential research-supported recommendations to address these challenges. Ultimately, these findings highlight the vast need for increased recognition and understanding of the underlying attributes to racial disparities in nursing home care