The frail elderly in the family.

Longer life expectancy, better health and higher levels of financial independence will characterise the elderly of the future. These will result in a greater variety of living and care arrangements including an increasing proportion of older people who will choose to live on their own. Caring for a frail elderly person in the family requires a change of family roles, a process often accompanied by emotional upheavals. The degree of difficulty experienced will be linked to the level of economic and physical dependence of the elderly person. Demographic changes will add new dimensions to the problems of care. In four generation families, which will be more common, the burden of care will shift to adult grand children. Fewer children and grand-children will be available to share care responsibilities. A range of commercial and welfare services will be required to meet the increasing range of needs. Careful evaluation is needed in monitoring both improvements and the risks to the frail elderly and the family in the changing scenario.