ABSTRACT
Family relationships play a powerful role in the lives of the elderly. In old age, most people maintain regular contact with family members (Shanas, 1979); older siblings seem to experience renewed emotional closeness (Cicerelli, 1989, 1982), and, in times of ill-health or crisis, relatives are more likely than anyone else to come to one’s aid (Brody, 1978, 1980). However, the literature on aging and the literature on the family have remained largely distinct and had very different foci. The focus in gerontology has been primarily on the needs of the older individual and the ability of the family to provide emotional and instrumental assistance. In this arena, little consideration has been given to the impact these relationships have on the larger family system. Family researchers, on the other hand, have focused traditionally on procreation and the socialization of young children. Only recently have some social scientists begun to consider the family as a system that lasts a life-time and involves multiple generations.
