Aging Quiz - Answer

Most older adults are rejected by their children

Answer: False - Older adults are not rejected by their children simply as a function of their age. You will hear people say something like: "Mrs. Jones is 75 years old, living in a nursing home, and her children never visit. They have just tossed her away because she's old." Chances are Mrs. Smith and her children have other family issues that preclude close contact (e.g. they don't like each other; there is a history of familial abuse).

In reality, studies have demonstrated that over 70 percent of older adults have a child living in close proximity (within 30 minutes). Over half of these individuals have visited with one of their children with two days prior to being surveyed. Close families do not fall apart simply because the parent has aged.




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