Admission health status differences of black and white indigent nursing home residents

To compare the health status of newly admitted lower socioeconomic status (SES) southern black (n = 81) and white (n = 53) nursing home residents.

The study data were part of a larger prospective study on the health of newly admitted nursing home residents.

A 575-bed, government-funded nursing home providing care for indigent residents in a large southern city.

Newly admitted black and white nursing home residents aged 60 and older.

Mental status was measured using the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire, activities of daily living by Scaled Outcome Criteria, and medical status by medical diagnoses and medications.

Blacks entering the nursing home were more cognitively and functionally impaired and had 3.7 years less education than white residents, but average age was not significantly different for black and white residents.

Many common health status measures showed no significant black-white differences for institutionalized older adults when region and SES were constants. However, mental status, self-care activities, and marital status were significantly different. These findings indicate a possible impact of lifelong poverty or low educational attainment on the increased disability of indigent black older adults. Black residents in our study had less spousal support to remain in the community.