Preference for Long-Term Care Arrangement and its Correlates for Older Korean Americans

Abstract

Care preference is important for both client's satisfaction and quality of life in long-term care. This study examines preference for long-term care arrangement and its correlates for older Korean Americans. Data on two disability scenarios of hip fracture and stroke from a cross-section survey of 144 older Korean Americans were used to examine preferred care arrangement in terms of caregiver and care location, using multinomial logistic regression. Respondents expressed stronger preferences for "all informal" or "mixed" care arrangement for hip fracture scenario, but they preferred "all formal" care arrangement in the stroke scenario. Traditional value significantly decreased the odds of choosing "all formal" or "mixed" over "all informal" care arrangement. But Medicaid coverage and an independent decision-making style increased the odds of choosing "all formal" instead of "all informal" care arrangement. This study discusses the need for assessment of care preference and culturally appropriate long-term care services for minority elders.