Assistance to the elderly as a common task of the family and social service organizations

Abstract

This paper reviews research findings from a December 1979 Austrian ‘microcensus’ comprising approximately 14,000 interviews of the population aged 60 and older. In comparison with earlier investigations, a fairly stable household structure can be observed. Half of the elderly live together with a spouse. Women are in a disadvantaged position, in view of the household composition; more than two-fifths live alone. Only one out of nine men lives alone. More than two-fifths of all aged Austrians with children live with them in the same house. Sixty percent of all the elderly with children are visited at least once a week. There is a marked desire to receive more visits from children if elderly are visited by them less than once a week. Only a minority of the elderly are involved in ‘help relations’ with kin or non-kin. Elderly people report roughly the same amount of help received by and given to children. On the other hand, young or middle-aged members of the household report much more help given to than received by the elderly. Elderly receive far less financial support than they give to children. Nursing expectations are directed mainly towards the spouse. The unmarried express about the same nursing expectations in short-term emergencies as the married, if their children are living nearby. In the case of long-term care only the married with a child living in the same house express rather optimistic nursing expectations, whereas e.g. four-fifths of all childless unmarried women aged 75 and over cannot nominate anyone as care-giver. Even if there is additional help from formal organizations, almost half of all members of households giving aid to an old person express feelings of burden. The paper concludes that help by social service organizations is necessary because neither activities by the elderly themselves nor family assistance can compensate unfulfilled needs completely. Yet, social policy planning is in need of more knowledge about ‘interaction effects’ between family and social service organizations in order to carry out coordination and cooperation tasks efficiently.