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Chapter Eleven

The Elderly and Their Families

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The Modernization of Old Age Mortality Decline

Life expectancy increases Higher for whites than non-whites

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Social Consequences Profound change in relations with

children and grandchildren Elderly population defined = 65

years of age and older young old = 65-74 old-old = 75-84 oldest old = 85 and over

Gerontologists are social/biological scientists who study the elderly

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Fertility Decline Fertility = the number of births in a

population Falling fertility rates Falling mortality rates

Finished raising children before grandchildren arrive

Horizontal relationships have shrunk Vertical ties have increased Watershed age when parents die is 50

Parents and children’s lives overlap by about 50 years

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Rising Standard of Living 1960 - 35% below poverty line;

today less than 9.7% among older Americans

Reduction mainly due to Social Security program older-old more likely to be poor women more likely to be poor non-whites, poorer than whites

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Tweeners = the group of elderly people who have incomes that place them between the poor, who get public assistance, and the middle class, who supplement their SS checks with savings and pensions Medicare = government program of health

insurance for elderly Medicaid = government program of health

insurance for people below poverty line

Rising Standard of Living

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Rising Standard of Living Social Consequences

Because of better economic status, older persons are less likely to be dependent on their children

Historically, intergenerational cooperation was more common than it is today

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Separate Living Arrangements Increased Independence

Elderly more likely to live alone Living arrangements

alone with a spouse with another relative with non-relatives

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Gender Differences in Living Arrangements Living alone (more likely to be a

woman) More likely to be widowed due to spouse’s

death Fewer men available

Living with spouse (more likely to be a man)

More likely to be married - fewer elderly men than women in population

Separate Living Arrangements

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Separate Living Arrangements Cultural Underpinnings

Independence deeply rooted in Western nations

Today, elderly still want to head own household

Want “intimacy at a distance” Reduces contact between elderly and kin

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Dying and Death Changes in life expectancy have altered

ways in which families experience dying and death Grandparents more likely to die than

mothers or children Elderly men that lose their wives have

difficultly maintaining household tasks Breadwinner-homemaker models did not provide

“training” Elderly women may have financial challenges

May have less income from Social Security May not have experience handling finances

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Quality of Intergenerational Ties Contact - frequency parents and

children see each other or are in contact by phone or email

Affinity - how emotionally close parents and children feel and how much they agree on values, attitudes, and beliefs

Assistance - amount of assistance in time, goods, or money that parents and children provide each other

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Contact 3/4 lived within minutes of children 2/3 saw at least one of children weekly 70% saw grandchild within last week Geographical distance between

generation – strong impact on relationships Illustrates strength and vulnerability of

grandparent-parent-grandchild relationship

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Mother-daughter Relationships and Family Culture Closeness of grandparents is tied to

relationship with mother of grandchild Kin-keeping work done primarily by

women

Contact

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Affinity

Greater degree of love and affection - previous generations seen more as caretakers = emotional distance Studies report a greater degree of

warmth and emotional closeness

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Demographic and Economic Change Easier today for grandparents to have a

pleasurable, emotion-laden relationship More likely to live long enough Aren’t still raising own children Ability to travel long distances Fewer grandchildren, more economic

resources

Affinity

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Shared Values Agreement between/among generations

about values, attitudes, beliefs 69% said similar to mothers 60% said similar to fathers

Cohort replacement model A model of changing public opinion in which

each successive birth cohort experiences a different social environment and retains distinctive opinions throughout their adult life

Affinity

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Assistance “Average American woman spends

17 years raising children and 18 years helping aging parents” – cover of Newsweek

Mutual assistance Works both ways - assistance reciprocal Sandwich generation - women providing

most of the care

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Care of the Disabled Women are the kinkeepers

Having a daughter is the key to receiving support

Not only provide a service to family, but to public

Keeping family members out of nursing homes Help with activities of daily living (ADL) These limitations did not put people in nursing

homes - most were still cared for at home

Assistance

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Assistance

Women in the middle 80% of care for disabled living in the

community is provided by relatives, mainly women

With more women working, how will this change?

Women may also be asked to help their children

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Mothers and daughters most likely to be close

Next, fathers and daughters Last, sons and mothers or fathers When parents were divorced,

solidarity was weaker

Variability of Intergenerational Ties

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Implications for the Future What will happen to

Noncustodial fathers? Never-married fathers? Stepfathers? Biological fathers they grew up with?

Elderly men will have to rely on their current wives for care

Fewer women who are economically independent will marry elderly men who need care-giving

Variability of Intergenerational Ties

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Are They Really Happy?

Indications are that elderly really do prefer to live alone

In previous generations, household held together by economic hardship

Opportunity for independence and drive for self-fulfillment are now primary