Representation of the black elderly in Detroit metropolitan nursing homes

This paper presents the results of an analysis of the distribution of black elderly patients in the long-term care systems of Detroit City, Wayne, and Oakland counties, Michigan. These areas were chosen because of their proximity to Wayne State University and because Detroit has a large black population. Wayne and Oakland counties are largely suburban areas. Black, long-term care utilization was compared with the black elderly representation of the base population in these three locations. The sex-specific distribution between whites and blacks in long-term care populations revealed that black men utilized the greatest amount of long-term care and were more dependent on Medicaid. One hundred twenty-one licensed nursing homes were contacted by telephone and a follow-up questionnaire was sent to the respondents during the five-month study périod.It has been observed nationally that the elderly black population is underrepresented in the long-term care system. The findings obtained in this study, however, are not in agreement with the national trend. In Detroit, the black elderly are represented in nursing homes in approximate proportion to their representation in the larger community.This analysis raises questions of need vs utilization of long-term care by the black elderly in urban areas. This is the first study of black elderly long-term care representation in a specific urban area in the United States.