The Supportive Network by G. Clare Wenger

Author:G. Clare Wenger [Wenger, G. Clare]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Social Science, Social Work
ISBN: 9781000455335
Google: EBFDEAAAQBAJ
Barnesnoble:
Goodreads: 15112210
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 1984-09-01T00:00:00+00:00

Age

With increasing age the elderly become more dependent on help from others and more likely to live with others. Up to the age of 80 approximately one-fifth receive regular help with shopping, laundry and ironing after which the proportion helped doubles in the early eighties, and approximately two-thirds of those aged 85 or older receive help with shopping and laundry and more than half with ironing. Fewer overall receive regular help with cooking, and here again those under 80 are half as likely (16 per cent) to receive help as those in the early eighties (28 per cent) and almost half those over 85 receive regular help. A very similar pattern exists for help with fires. In fact it is possible to say that under 80 a fifth or less receive regular help with frequently needed routine chores, twice as many in the 80-84 age range and half as many again after age 85. It seems important to draw attention here to the fact that increased dependency seems to occur after 80, rather than 75, as much of the literature, particularly statistical analyses (e.g. M. Abrams, 1978, 1980), implies.

Sources of help reflect the changing household composition of the elderly in the face of widowhood and increasing frailty and provide a reminder of the danger of seeing them as a homogeneous group. Under the age of 75, approximately half of help with shopping, laundry, ironing and cooking comes from within the household, mostly from a husband or wife. After this age, approximately three-fifths of such help comes from outside the household. During the seventies help with shopping is more common from neighbours than outside relatives, although neighbour help generally is less likely to be regular. However, after 80 reliance on the family become greater. Home helps are only significant shoppers for those over 85. Help with laundry, ironing and cooking follows a similar pattern except that help from neighbours is minimal. The proportion paying for laundry service increases slightly with age.

The real numbers of those receiving help with maintaining fires are too small when broken down by age to be meaningful. However, they appear to demonstrate a similar pattern, with a fall-off of help from the household during the seventies (as the incidence of widowhood increases) and a build-up during the eighties (as the frail elderly move in with others). The proportion receiving help from neighbours is small and nearly all such help is for the over-80s. Help from home helps is only significant for making fires and concentrated in the over 75 age group.

Where less frequently needed chores are concerned help is sought at earlier ages. Up to age 80 approximately seven out of ten manage without help in the garden but after that age three-fifths receive help. (Some presumably receive no help but do no gardening!) Again, with the younger elderly help comes mostly from a spouse and subsequently from other household members. The youngest age group of the elderly (65-69) are more likely than other age groups to

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