Introduction

The structure of modern industrial societies shows an ageing population. In most countries in Europe there are more old age pensioners than ever before, and the proportion of people who have retired from the labour market because of age is steadily growing. Even in countries, like those of Scandinavia, where the proportion of aged persons is so high already that it cannot increase, there will be a great expansion in the number of the very old, that is those over 80 years of age, continuing into the next century.

This situation leads to difficulty in planning ahead for payment of old-age pensions based on social security funds deducted from the working population. In addition, traditional ways of coping with the problems of the very old by putting them into special institutions or hospitals have been extremely costly. There is, therefore, a considerable interest in alternative solutions to the problems of old age; a search for cheaper but perhaps even more humane ways of treating the elderly. Some social workers have tried to stimulate sons or daughters to take the old people back to their homes and build some sort of extended family. In countries like the United States, where institutional care for the elderly has not been given priority, more than one-third of all aged single people live with relatives, usually adult children.