VERY OLD ADULTS AND THEIR CHILDREN: QUALITATIVE FINDINGS ON SUPPORT EXCHANGES

摘要

The number of very old people is increasing dramatically in most industrialized countries. The possibility to stay at home is of key importance for this population, and their children often make this possible. However, little is known about the nature of the relationship between very old parents and their old children, and the implication of the quality of this relationship. The present study drew on data from a Swiss sample of 20 of dyads, composed of very old people (aged above 95 years) and the child involved in their care. To examine the quality of the relationship and the support the members of the dyads provide to one another, they were asked to participate in an interaction task (e.g., Suhr, Cutrona, Krebs, & Jensen, 2013). Specifically, the very old parent had to describe a difficult everyday life situation and to discuss it with the child for 10 minutes. Then roles were reversed. The videotaped dyadic interaction was analysed using the Social Support Behavior Code (SSBC; Suhr et al., 2013), which assesses 25 individual support behaviors. The results indicate various support types, ranging from positive (e.g., emotional, information) to negative (e.g., criticism). We also found that dyads ranged in the amount to which the support was reciprocal; yet, with poorer health and increasing age, support exchange became more unbalanced. Findings suggest the usefulness of the chosen task for the assessment/coding of dyadic interactions in very advanced age. Future studies should investigate the relationship between support exchange and well-being/mental health outcomes.