Quick Answers...
It seems like in the past that older people were taken care of by their own families, who is taking care of the elderly at the present time?
Evidence from several studies and national surveys indicates
that families are the major care providers for impaired
older adults. Families provide 70 to 80 percent of the
in-home care for older relatives with chronic impairments.
Family members have cared for the typical older adult who
reaches a long-term care setting for a significant amount of
time first. Research has shown that adult children are the
primary caregivers for older widowed women and older
unmarried men, and they are the secondary caregivers in
situations where the spouse of an older person is still
alive. Parent care has become a predictable and nearly
universal experience across the life course, although most
people are not adequately prepared for it.
Linda Breytspraak, Center on Aging Studies, University of Missouri-Kansas City
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Last update: Monday, July 07, 2008