title: Whom Do Centenarians Rely on for Support? Findings From the Second Heidelberg Centenarian Study.
abstract: This paper provides a detailed picture of the sources and types of informal support available to centenarians, depending on their housing and care arrangements. Participants were 112 centenarians and 96 primary contacts of centenarians enrolled in the population-based Second Heidelberg Centenarian Study. Findings indicate that children of centenarians were their primary source of support in daily life. Those without living children had overall less help. Most frequently reported was help with administrative tasks, regardless of centenarians' residence or living arrangement. All other types of help (e.g., with activities of daily living and housework) were reported by about one-third and were mostly provided by children; centenarians without children were more likely to have friends/neighbors involved in some of these tasks. The one category reported by a third of the centenarians regardless of residence, living arrangements, or presence of a child was help with socializing/companionship. Findings constitute an important step toward identifying and meeting the support needs of centenarians and their families. Policy implications are discussed.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Gerontology, John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies, University of Massachusetts Boston , Boston , Massachusetts , USA.
authors.forename: Kathrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Boerner
authors.affiliation: b Institute of Psychology, University of Lausanne, and National Centre of Competence in Research "LIVES-Overcoming Vulnerability: Life Course Perspectives," Lausanne , Switzerland.
authors.forename: Daniela S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Jopp
authors.affiliation: c Fordham University, New York , New York , USA.
authors.forename: Min-Kyung S
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: d Institute of Gerontology, Heidelberg University , Heidelberg , Germany.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rott
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Caregiving; centenarians; informal support; social networks; social relationships; very old adults