Use of home- and community-based services by older adults with different racial and ethnic backgrounds

Abstract

As people get older, their likelihood of facing physical and mental health problems and needing long-term care increases. In particular, minority older adults generally experience health disparities, have low accessibility to health care, and have poorer health status compared to their white counterparts. To support older adults to live independently in the community, home- and community-based services (HCBS) were established. This study adapted a scoping study process to explore the difference in using HCBS by race and ethnicity. As it is known that minorities are likely to experience unequal accessibility to health care services, HCBS are supposed to be less used by minority older adults. Therefore, the purpose of this paper was (1) to identify difference in utilizing HCBS by race and (2) issues in accessing to HCBS for minority older adults. This study identified minority older adults` different needs as well as several concerns using HCBS. Minority older adults are more likely to use community based services compared to white older adults. They are also likely to experience low quality of care, unmet needs, and barriers to HCBS. In conclusion, this study proposed integrated services as an example to reduce barriers and increase accessibility to HCBS for minority older adults. Some suggestions of HCBS use for minority older adults and implications for community services for Korean low-income older adults were discussed.