title: Personalization of formal social relationships by the elderly.
abstract: This article examines the role of formal support services in the lives of elderly residents of HUD-subsidized buildings. Tenants identified a variety of formal roles as important in their lives. The three most central roles were physician (79%), apartment manager (58%), and social worker (51%). Formal roles were an important source of both instrumental and affective support in a wide variety of circumstances. Many individuals in formal roles were considered friends and the highly personalized nature of these relationships was a surprising finding.
authors.affiliation: University of California, San Francisco.
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Wolfsen
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Barker
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Mitteness
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D012112:Residential Facilities / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012931:Social Environment; D012944:Social Support