This article addresses several specific questions which have arisen from speculation about the impact of recent social, economic, and demographic trends on the older family. The availability of and interaction with children among elderly Americans over the past two decades is examined. Causal models are used to explore the effects of social, economic, and demographic change on family interaction and living with a child. Finally, the implications of these findings for the future are reviewed. Analyses are based on the 1984 National Health Interview Survey Study on Aging and the 1962 and 1975 Survey of the Aged studies.
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