Unit 4 Discussion 1

by

Humanities

Aging and the Family

Family relationships are among the most enduring that people experience during increasingly long lives. Our roles as sons and daughters, wives and husbands, parents, siblings, and grandparents (and beyond) link many of us to a strong network of others with whom we share history, tradition, and responsibilities.

For your initial post in this discussion, reflect on your role as a human service and public service leader and explain your thoughts on the following:

  1. As you reflect on your family structure, such as the number of siblings in various generations/historical periods and ages at marriage and death, what larger social changes in the institution of the family in later life do you see reflected in the history of your family?
  2. Thinking about younger adults today (in their 20s), what changes in the timing of household events, family norms, and individual behaviors are likely to differentiate their cohort experiences of family in later life from those of individuals in their 70s today?
  3. When families provide care for an ailing or frail older relative, what supports would you recommend as a human service and public service leader to promote family caregiving to shift the balance toward greater rewards?

Support your thoughts with current references from professional literature.