Informal Support Systems in a Planned Retirement Community

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Abstract
This study evaluates retirement community norms in terms of the hierarchical-compensatory versus the task-specific models of exchange. Data collected in a sample survey indicate that residents form mutual assistance networks for short-term help in lieu of or in addition to distant or nonexistent children and other kin. As hypothesized by the task-specific model, only a minority expect long-term care from local friends. Contrary to both the task-specific and the hierarchical-compensatory models, few rely on any primary group for long-term care. As the community ages, the residual old-old population is made up of individuals with attenuated kin networks or strong reservations about informal support for long-term care. The findings point to the need to develop formal support systems in retirement communities.

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