Living Arrangements and Social Adjustment of the Aged

• Published in: Coordinator 1957-09, Vol.6 (1), p.12-14
• Main Author: Stone, Carol L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adjustment; Adult Children; Children; Coresidence; Daughters; Elderly; Leisure time; Living arrangements; Older adults; Parents; Residence; Social adjustment; Sons; State colleges
• ISSN: 1540-8256; 0197-6664
• DOI: 10.2307/581201

An examination of aspects of living arrangements at aged in order to ascertain (1) if social adjustment (SoAdj) differs in families which have worked out various solutions, & (2) to gain some insight as to the most desirable arrangements. 549 persons 65+ yrs of age selected through a random areal sample of Thurston County, Washington were Interviewed. 19% (102) of R's were sharing homes with their adult children, 62 for convenience, 16 because of poor health, 9 because the adult children were invalids or unable to work, 9 shared homes with grandchildren, & 6 with non-adult children. A level of living index based on a Guttman typescale gave the following ratings: those living with children higher than those living alone; those sharing for convenience were highest; those sharing with adult children who were invalids or unable to work were lowest. The R's sharing for convenience were most likely to be satisfied with their living arrangement than any other group. On a SocAdj scale based on the Guttman technique the satisfaction of R's sharing because of convenience & those sharing with non-adult children were highest while those living with adult children who were invalids & unable to work were. lowest. R's living with children differed little from those not living with children. When asked what were the most important problems facing them, 45% of R's said they had no problems. R's sharing for convenience had fewer problems than any other group & those living with their children because of necessity, the most. Health, finances & lonesomeness were the 3 most frequently mentioned problems. 'These' findings indicate adults' 'sharing of homes with their elderly parents should not always be considered a last alternative & that the arrangement can be very satisfactory from the elderly parent's point of view.' J. M. Rollins.