By Camille P. Wicher, Mary Ann Meeker
The 2010 U.S. Census showed an increase in the African American population of 12.3%, with non-Hispanic White and African American constituting the largest groups in the overall U.S. population.1 Of the 38.9 million African Americans living in the U.S. in 2010, 17.4% were aged 55 and older.1 According to the census, by the year “2030 there will be around 71.5 million older persons in the U.S.—more than twice their number in 2000.”2[p.10] These trends suggest that there will be a substantial increase not only in the number of elders, but in the diversity of the large population that may be nearing or at the end of life. The challenges of providing culturally appropriate end-of-life care to a diverse population … Read More