Abstract:

The impact of ethnicity on the aged in the U.S. is discussed, focusing on implications for service provision. A review of pertinent literature suggests that "non-mechanism-specific" services (those that can be provided in diverse settings) are most appropriately handled through the social organization of the ethnic community. Too much reliance on the ethnic family to provide long-term care, however, is cautioned against. The argument that public benefits for needy elderly merely supplement family aid in ethnic communities is a political statement designed to minimize welfare costs. Gerontologists are urged to oppose this viewpoint in order to allow more adequate care of the elderly in the U.S.