Book excerpt: 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 "communities of care."With detailed profiles of the facilities, interviews, and case histories of care recipients, the authors explore both the institutional and personal characteristics of the facilities and the issues central to their residents. This definitive work brings to the forefront critical questions about how race, gender, and culture affect the quality of, access to, and cost of care. These questions have broad implications for the policy, administration, and operation of assisted living.