Very little is known about why and when African American elders seek formal long-term care, or about the characteristics of assisted living environments they consider most desirable. Drawing on qualitative studies conducted between 1998 and 2001, the authors of Communities of Care provide important information on historic and current trends in assisted living systems serving African Americans.

Focusing on six facilities that have become models of long-term care for African Americans, the authors shed light on the daily lives of the people who live, work, and visit these...