Divorce and Family Support in Later Life: Emerging Concerns.

Two patterns are among the most important considerations in planning services for the elderly of the future: (1) the current role of family members in supporting older adults and (2) the present high rate of divorce. Thus far, these patterns may not have significantly affected each other. However, if forecasts of increasing service demands by older adults are correct, service planners must consider what resources will be available to the elderly of the future. In this article, literature from a variety of areas is reviewed focusing on one question: How will the currently high rate of divorce affect the family support system of older adults in the future? Current divorce and remarriage patterns could undermine this support system of the elderly. Possible short-and long-term effects of the demands and emotional consequences of divorce are discussed within this context, and implications for public policy are suggested.

Developmental Brain Dysfunction: Revival and Expansion of Old Concepts Based on New Genetic Evidence

Neurodevelopmental disorders can be caused by many different genetic abnormalities that are individually rare but collectively common. Specific genetic causes, including certain copy number variants and single-gene mutations, are shared among disorders that are thought to be clinically distinct. This evidence of variability in the clinical manifestations of individual genetic variants and sharing of genetic causes among clinically distinct brain disorders is consistent with the concept of developmental brain dysfunction, a term we use to describe the abnormal brain function underlying a group of neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders and to encompass a subset of various clinical diagnoses. Although many pathogenic genetic variants are currently thought to be variably penetrant, we hypothesise that when disorders encompassed by developmental brain dysfunction are considered as a group, the penetrance will approach 100%. The penetrance is also predicted to approach 100% when the phenotype being considered is a specific trait, such as intelligence or autistic-like social impairment, and the trait could be assessed using a continuous, quantitative measure to compare probands with non-carrier family members rather than a qualitative, dichotomous trait and comparing probands with the healthy population. Copyright 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Disclosing Sexual Assault Victimization to Others

Previous research has demonstrated that victims of sexual assault disclose their assaults most frequently to members of their intimate social circle. Unfortunately, some friends and family members give support in ways that are perceived as unhelpful by victims. The present study found that victims' reports and non-victims' expectations of positive support after disclosure differed significantly. These results indicate that significant efforts are needed to change the campus culture by increasing support for sexual assault victims.

The Differential Usage of Services by Impaired Elderly

Why do some clients use institutional services, while other, with comparable impairment, use community based services? To answer this question, a matching procedure paired clients from the two types of service provision. Sixty-six clients, ages 62 and over, were matched for functional ability as rated on a 6-item ADL scale (Katz, et al., 1970). A discriminant function analysis was performed, with the setting of service provision as the criterion variable. The results indicated that the institutional group was more likely than their community counterparts: (a) to have had previous service contact with other service providers; (b) to have less support available within the community setting from family members or friends; (c) to be more impaired in the areas of mental health and social resources.

Working With Families of Impaired Elderly

In this article, several approaches to working with the complexity of family relationships in later adulthood are described. Basic information on family forms and the pattern of family support for older adults is discussed. In addition, several examples of interventions with family members of older adults are reviewed. The goal of these activities is to increase the range of options available to older adults and their family caregivers.

Aging and Social Policy: Contrasting Western Europe and the United States

In this essay, three generic issues that underlie our implicit social policy toward older adults and their families are considered: What is the proper division of responsibility for impaired elderly between family members and the state? Is age a morally relevant variable when allocating the resources of society? What should be the balance of competing demands between and among different generations? These issues are considered by contrasting the implicit and explicit policies of the United States with those of several Western European nations (Sweden, West Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands). Suggestions for a family-centered policy on aging are offered. In addition, indications for the appropriate blend of age and need as entitlement criteria are presented.