NCJ Number
145407
Journal
Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect Volume: 3 Issue: 2 Dated: (1991) Pages: 41-60
Date Published
1991
Length
19 pages
Annotation
This article looks at the important role that friends, neighbors, and other informal caregivers provide to elders who remain in the community.
Abstract
In a study of elderly people in the Chicago area who had been homeless or who had otherwise experienced housing emergencies, researchers discovered a large number of elderly persons living with or in close proximity to nonrelatives such as friends and neighbors who looked after the elders. In a close look at three cases, the nature of these relationships was examined. These living arrangements involve diverse circumstances that provide elders who remain in the community with vital and regular social contact. Caregivers exhibit a unique ability to provide care without ulterior motive or compensation. They fill a role that cannot be replaced by formal intervention. Representatives of the formal care bureaucracy have viewed informal caregivers with a lack of respect and a lack of understanding of the relationships. The article provides suggestions for encouraging and even supporting the efforts of informal caregivers such a providing them with training and compensation.