Responsibility and control is given to the offspring. The mid-life adults change their care focus to their aging parents. The family in later life. The center of family power shifts from the older generation to the middle one. Grandparenting roles and elder care needs are coordinated and supplemented by the younger generations.
Older individuals maximize their functioning in the face of progressive disability.
Family physicians also should recognize that each individual in the family has perceived obligations and entitlements that they protect and maintain within the family system, Houston said. When individuals don't receive their perceived family or interpersonal entitlements, they usually take action, Houston said. When a perceived imbalance occurs over a long period, distrust develops within the family relationship. Family physicians should recognize that each family member has a unique perspective on the family system. The family physician can help the survivors review and understand their family's unique heritage.