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The Support Source Mix: A Comparison of Elderly Men and Women from Two Decades

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 November 2010

Judith G. Chipperfield
Judith G. Chipperfield
Affiliation:
University of Manitoba*
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Abstract

Attempts to explore the mix between the provision of support by informal and formal sources typically involve evaluations of a single sample of seniors. This study examined the sources of support (i.e. informal, formal, mixed) for instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) received by seniors at two points in time, approximately 12 years apart. Sources of support were compared to consider whether those used by men and women in 1983 (n = 1479), were similar to those used by their counterparts more than a decade earlier (n = 2512). For women, the proportions receiving assistance from various sources were identical in 1983 and 1971. For men, they were not. Among seniors receiving some IADL assistance, the probability of receiving it from primarily informal sources in 1983, relative to 1971 was significantly lower for men than for women. Moreover, the probability of receiving support from primarily formal sources in 1983, relative to 1971 was significantly higher for men. These findings might imply that, for men, but not for women, the receipt of support has moved toward primarily formal sources and away from primarily informal sources. Several potential explanations for these findings are explored.

Résumé

Des essais pour examiner le mélange de provision d'aide entre des sources non-formelles et des sources formelles comporte typiquement des évaluations d'un simple échantillon des aînés. Cette étude-ci a examiné les sources d'aide (i.e. non-formelles, formelles, mixtes) envers les activités instrumentales de la vie quotidienne (IADL) reçues par les aînés en deux périodes de temps, espacées de 12 ans approximativement. Les différentes sources d'aide ont été compareés afin de voir si celles employées par les hommes et les femmes en 1983 (n = 1479) étaient semblables à celles employées pars leurs homologues plus d'une décennie plus tôt (n = 2512). Pour les femmes, les pourcentages recevant une assistance de sources diverses étaient identiques en 1983 et en 1971. Ils ne l'étaient pas pour les hommes. Parmis les aînés recevant une assistance IADL, la probabilité de la recevoir principalement de sources non-formelles en 1983, était relative à 1971 significativement plus basse pour les hommes que pour les femmes. De plus, la probabilité de recevoir une aide de sources principalement formelles en 1983, était relative à 1971 significativement plus haute pour les hommes. Ces résultats peuvent suggérer que, pour les hommes, mais non pour les femmes, la réception d'aide s'est deplacée vers des sources principalement formelles et s'éloigne de sources principalement non-formelles. Plusieurs explications possibles de ces résultats sont à l'étude.

Keywords

GenderAssistanceSupportIADL.SexeaidesoutienAVD.
Type
Articles
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 13 , Issue 4 , Winter/hiver 1994 , pp. 434 - 453
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 1994

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