ABSTRACT
The social world of each of these seven African American elders (Eloise Little, Ruby Washington, Viola Worth, Reverend Joseph Scott, Lucy Oliver, Geraldine Starr, and Sally Finch) has shrunk dramatically over the years as their physical abilities have diminished. For the seven clients, the social component of the formal home care services is most important for those who live alone and for those who most value social interactions as a part of their everyday life. Like many aspects of caregiving, the importance of the social component of care is idiosyncratic. This chapter focuses on social aspects of the formal caregiving experience and examines more closely the nature of social interactions and interpersonal relationships between clients and their aides. The close relationships between clients and their aides often take on characteristics more typical of ties between family and friends.
