As elders become more dependent, families are the primary providers of services such as transportation, assistance with daily living, and to a lesser extent, housing and economic support. Women have always been the major care providers for aging relatives. The caregiving situation may involve a considerable amount of stress for the caregiver and their family, and may not necessarily contribute to an increased quality of life for the elder. Social and Psychological Support . Families are invaluable for helping elders negotiate through the bureaucratic red-tape associated with medical care, changes in housing locations, etc.
Surveys show that elders report a high degree of interaction with their immediate family members.
Of all the help they get from their children, elders seem to value most the social and psychological support. Public policy issues relating to aging are likely to receive increasing attention. These demands may be manifested in guilt, friction, and feelings of inadequacy for old and young alike. If the familial demands of later life are more sorely felt or more openly acknowledged today than in the past, it may be because aging kin have become more commonplace. It may also be because Americans have come to accept that the welfare of older citizens is no longer merely a private concern, but also a public responsibility.3 An examination of the research leads some to conclude that social and psychological support may be the most valuable assistance provided to elders by their families .