ABSTRACT
This chapter is concerned with enabling the reader to explore the nature of the relationships that older people engage in, including their meaning and significance. The means by which relationships develop are explored, as are the factors affecting the development, maintenance and ending of relationships. It links these aspects together in an exploration of the types of relationships that older people engage in and discuss the significance of these in abusive circumstances. It is suggested that relationships have central significance for individuals throughout the life course. The relationships that older people engage in are much the same as at other stages in the life course, and each type has different meanings for the individual. However, it is clear that the quality of a relationship may vary considerably, depending on structural issues such as whether the family live close by, emotional issues such as patterns of intimacy within the family throughout the life course, and also cultural issues.
