Abstract:

An examination of U.S elderly in terms of their economic situation, need for care, & treatment, including abuse, by their children, published as Vol 166 of the Sage Library of Social Research, & presented in 8 Chpts with 4 Appendixes. (1) The Other Side of the Mountain - outlines the goals of the book - to explore the aging process from the perspective of the middle-aged in terms of their expectations for themselves, their children, & their parents as they approach the far end of middle age - & describes the methodology - in-depth interviews with 104 caregivers of 119 elderly relatives, & a mail questionnaire survey yielding responses from 153 service providers, exploring the incidence & nature of neglect & abuse of aged parents. (2) Prestige and Power or Pity and Poverty: A Historical Overview of the Elderly in America - examines the historical roots of treatment of the elderly in US society. (3) Parenting Your Parent: A Contemporary Analysis of the Problem - reviews research on dependency, stress, & burdensome feelings that result from caring for elderly relatives, & how these can lead to their neglect & abuse. (4) Elders and Their Caregivers: A Profile - considers tasks undertaken for the elderly that place them in a dependent situation, examines the relationship of dependency to stress, & explores techniques used to maintain interpersonal relations. (5) In Their Best Interest: To Care or Not to Care - focuses on issues of independence & dependency & specific dependency tasks, & discusses the processes involved in deciding to care for an elderly relative in one's home, & in delegating caregiving responsiblity. (6) Is It Worth the Effort? The Impact of Stress of Caregivers and Their Families - examines caregivers' perceptions of stress & burden, as well as control maintenance techniques used by both caregivers & care recipients. (7) Elder Abuse: Victims and Perpetrators - explores how techniques used by elders & caregivers to gain or maintain control can lead to abuse. (8) Patterns, Perceptions, and Predictions - reviews present models for predicting elder abuse, examines family patterns of abuse, & analyzes the role of caregivers' perceptions of stress & abuse in the perpetration of abuse. Appendix A: Questionnaire on Caring for an Elderly Parent. Appendix B: Research Issues: Human Subjects, Sampling, Reliability, Validity, and Indexes. Appendix C: Tables. Appendix D: Findings from the Service Provider Sample.