Family Relationships and Support in Later Life

Popular notions that older people are abandoned and neglected by their families, or that older people do not have families, are, in fact, myths. Most older Canadians are engaged in a variety of family relationships that include spouses, children, grandchildren and siblings. The importance of particular relationships varies according to marital status and whether the person has children. Some have followed family paths that are somewhat unusual, such as never marrying or having children. Men typically have spouses to provide support and care when necessary, while women are more likely to experience widowhood and turn to adult children for support. The article points out that older people give support as well as receive it. The article briefly considers elder abuse and neglect, a phenomenon affecting a small but vulnerable percentage of older people.