Families in Later Life: A Decade in Review

Abstract

Later‐life families encompass the legal, biological, romantic, and kin‐like relationships of persons ages 65 and older. Research on older families has flourished over the past decade, as population aging has intensified concerns regarding the capacities of families to care for older adults and the adequacy of public pension systems to provide an acceptable standard of living. Shifting patterns of family formation over the past half‐century have created a context in which contemporary older adults' family lives differ markedly from earlier generations. Decreasing numbers of adults are growing old with their first and only spouse, with rising numbers divorcing, remarrying, forming non‐marital romantic partnerships, or living single by choice. Remarriage and the formation of stepfamilies pose challenges and opportunities as older adults negotiate complex decisions such as inheritance and caregiving. Family relationships are consequential for older adults' well‐being, operating through both biological and psychosocial mechanisms. We synthesize research from the past decade, revealing how innovations in data and methods have refined our understanding of late‐life families against a backdrop of demographic change. We show how contemporary research refines classic theoretical frameworks and tests emerging conceptual models. We organize the article around two main types of family relationships: (1) marriage and romantic partnerships and (2) intergenerational relationships. We discuss how family caregiving occurs within these relationships, and offer three promising avenues for future research: ethnic minority and immigrant families; older adults without close kin (“elder orphans”); and the potentials of rapidly evolving technologies for intergenerational relationships and caregiving.

The Convoy Model andLater‐LifeFamily Relationships

“…Family gerontology may benefit from the convoy model because it is clear that family structure evolves as societies change, yet the critical role of close relations remains stable (Antonucci et al, 2019). As demographic trends foreshadow a future of longer, healthier life expectancies and fewer children, it is likely that older adults will increasingly have active roles in intergenerational family units for longer periods of time (Carr & Utz, 2020). As we have outlined, the convoy model provides a useful heuristic for extending our view of changing families and evolving roles between family members, including the presence of older adults.…”

“…Importantly, cultural values, which influence the feelings of family obligation and the extent of family involvement within social networks, may be accounted for using the convoy model. As family research expands its global reach, a growing literature recognizes intergenerational relationships and the universal as well as distinct needs of older adults in families cross‐culturally (Carr & Utz, 2020; Trask, 2009). The roles of older family members may vary across racial, ethnic, and cultural contexts.…”

“…As a result, older adults will increasingly hold central roles in their families and create new meaning in their relationships (Blieszner & Bedford, 2012). Further, family changes in later life include increased opportunities for intergenerational relationships as well as shifts in living arrangements, such as living apart together (Carr & Utz, 2020). We argue that even though the form of families may change during later life, their fundamental function of providing support has not; however, theorists and researchers need to adapt concepts and methods to best understand late‐life family functioning.…”

“…For instance, in a role‐based model of social support, multigenerational family dynamics across cultural contexts may be overlooked if a researcher assumes that parent–child is the primary dynamic in the family, when the grandparent–grandchild, extended family, or fictive kin dynamic may also (or instead) be central. Further, as many families experience divorces and remarriages; challenges such as substance abuse; or absence due to military service, incarceration, or distant employment, the older generation is sometimes the most consistent adult presence that younger generation members experience (Carr & Utz, 2020). Using the convoy model to identify long‐term resources that are most helpful for meeting the needs of multiple family members, including older and younger family members, will help identify resources that are available and needed by each member of the family and that should be supported by policy, legal institutions, and society in general.…”

A Decade of Research on Intergenerational Ties: Technological, Economic, Political, and Demographic Changes

“…Dating back two decades, researchers introduced the concept intergenerational ambivalence to describe complex feelings that parents and grown children may experience in this tie (Connidis, ; Giardin et al, 2018; Lendon, ; Luescher & Pillemer, ). Researchers have measured intergenerational ambivalence in a variety of ways (Carr & Utz, ), including direct measures (i.e., feeling conflicted or torn in a relationship with a grown child or parent), qualitatively in open‐ended questions (Verma & Satayanarayana, ), and indirectly as a combination of ratings of positive and negative sentiments (Pillemer, Munsch, Fuller‐Rowell, Riffin, & Suitor, ; Suitor, Gilligan, & Pillemer, ). The indirect approach is the most common; a plethora of studies in the past decade have examined a combination of sentiments to assess intergenerational ambivalence (Birditt, Fingerman, & Zarit, ; Kiecolt, Blieszner, & Savla, ).…”