Abstract:

Any age finds a person in a balancing state between dependence & independence. Here, the relationship between this balance & the socioemotional aspects of life-cycle state, & the interpersonal dimensions of the continuum between dependence & independence are explored. Concepts in social gerontology are examined for their relation to the independence/dependence continuum, & the socioemotional difficulty of dependence in a culture that extols independence is described. Tasks for social workers & others involved with the elderly are delineated, including preservation of a concept of self-esteem by allowing the person to be dependent, assistance in negotiating filial crises, & insuring some freedom from financing, housing, & social insecurity.