ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of these relationships. It concludes with a discussion of unanswered questions that are important to professionals who work with older adults. Among the best-documented findings in family gerontology is that older people and their adult children prefer to live near one another but not with one another, and that most families are successful in implementing that preference. Most older people see at least one of their adult children on a weekly basis, and many see an adult child nearly every day. Typically, both elderly parents and adult children report strong feelings of affection for one another. For most, being a great-grandparent is important more for symbolic reasons than because of the personal relationships with great-grandchildren. As a sound treatment plan invariably rests on a thorough assessment, mental health practitioners working with older adults will want to develop a clear picture of the client's family context-including relationships with grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
