Supportive Networks: Life Ties for the Elderly

Recent studies suggest that the increased vulnerability of the older person to physical and/or mental breakdown is related to loss or deficiency in the pattern of supportive ties. With increases in the geographical separation of adult children from their parents, and with greater longevity, the needs of the elderly are increasingly being transferred from the family either to public service settings or to voluntary associations. The resource needs depend in part on the individual's existing contacts and state of health, as well as upon the psychological history of the person. Various programs have addressed the differences in social support for older people in markedly different ways. Six different programs are examined to illustrate the importance of attention to health status, ethnicity, and style of life in the provision of social support. By evaluating the offerings of these programs against the concepts of network theory we are able to show how the needs for social support among the elderly are highly differentiated and deserving of equally differentiated forms of response.