Their assistance takes a variety of forms - help with housework, preparing meals, transportation, shopping, and making household repairs. Even those who eventually need long-term institutional care generally continue to be supported by friends and family. Almost everyone needs companionship, and older Canadians are no exception. Supportive relationships vary. For example, men seem to rely more exclusively on their spouses for their companionship and emotional support than do women.
Women seem to be more successful at substituting friendship for family ties.
Because wives are generally younger than their husbands and are likely to outlive their spouses, they are more likely to assume the caregiving role. Other sources of assistance, aside from spouses, are brothers and sisters and, of course, sons and daughters. Most older Canadians live close to at least one child. Although nearby children are a welcome source of help and companionship, most seniors prefer to maintain their independence as much as possible, and to live in their own quarters. Friends have their own special value, for they often share common experiences and have gone through similar changes in their lives.