. >> reporter: seventy-six-year- old nicolasa romero still gets teary when she talks about how much her life has changed after suffering a stroke eight years ago. an immigrant from mexico, she had been living with her daughter in suburban los angeles. but the stroke forced her into a nursing home. >> ( translated ): because of my stroke, i cant walk. i cant move one arm. my daughter lives on a second floor and i couldn't go up and down the stairs anymore. >> reporter: romero is part of a trend among latino senior citizens. traditionally, they lived out their final years with family members who served as their caregivers. but as more and more latino households have become dual income, there's no one left at home to care for them. and so they are going to nursing homes. in fact, there's been a 58% increase in latino admissions to such facilities, compared to a 10% decrease for whites. rashmi birla, who's been a nursing home administrator for 14 years, has seen first hand the surge in interest by latinos, although she knows it remains culturally a tough choice. >> it's really not easy for