Nursing Homes Serving Latinos Provide Poorer Quality of Care
By Richard Shank
New research published in the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association recently found that nursing homes that serve predominately Latino populations provide poorer quality of care compared to those serving mostly white older adults.
It should be noted that this research is preliminary, because it relies on the rate of bedsores developed at Latino nursing homes which researchers found to be significantly higher. However, this finding alone warrants more systematic examination and should not be discounted.
The research is in line with a recent landmark study that found predominately African American nursing homes to be of significantly poorer quality than predominately white communities, especially in the Midwestern states and other areas with high levels of residential segregation.
In this current study, researchers looked at two data sources: The Minimum Data Set, which outlines national data on health status; and the Oscar Database System, which collects information on patients and nursing homes. Residents in this study came from freestanding nursing homes in California, New Mexico, Texas, Arizona, and Colorado.
Despite its limitations, this study serves the purpose of providing a first look at a potentially widespread problem. Future research should utilize nationally representative samples and measure the quality of care more systematically.
Source: Gerardo, M., Teno, J., Mor, V. 2008. Not so black and white: Nursing home concentration of Hispanics associated with prevalence of pressure ulcers. Journal of the American Medical Directors 22: 127-132.
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