Abstract:

Data from the 1984 Longitudinal Study of Aging, supplemented by data from 2 follow-up surveys conducted in 1986 & 1988, are used to examine patterns of change in functional capacity among a sample of 138 Latinos, 555 non-Latino blacks, & 4,402 non-Latino whites age 70+. Results reveal that among all 3 groups, improvements in functional capacity often follow declines, but they also show that blacks are more likely than non-Latino whites to suffer protracted declines in functional capacity, ultimately resulting in more serious incapacity. A conceptual model is developed to identify those factors that account for racial & ethnic group differences in health & functional capacity as well as the greater propensity of black & Latino elderly to rely on informal sources of support rather than on formal long-term care.