A widespread bias exists among legal, medical, and social service professionals that the appropriate placement for elderly individuals with cognitive impairment (dementia) is a nursing home. Two major reasons for institutionalization are to remove the patient from a potentially harmful situation and to relieve the family of the burden of care.…

The population of older black Americans is a growing, underutilized resource. Research on the status of older black Americans suggests that race is among the major factors influencing economic status and social mobility. Recent census data and projections confirm that to be old and black is a liability rather than an asset. As this population…