Later-Life Social Support and Service Provision in Diverse and Vulnerable Populations

Later-Life Social Support and Service Provision in Diverse and Vulnerable Populations offers current, multidisciplinary perspectives on social support and service provision to older Americans. The chapters trace how our understanding of social support among older adults has developed over the past 40 years and explore current gerontological research in the area. They consider how informal care arrangements articulate with formal long-term care policies and programs to provide support to the diverse population of older Americans. They also emphasize heterogeneity in the composition of support networks, particularly in relation to gender, sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, and immigrant status. Collectively, the chapters provide insight into the complexity of older adult's social support networks that can be used to improve the services provided to caregivers and care recipients as well as the policies that promote high-quality support to people of all ages who are in need of assistance.

Janet M. Wilmoth, PhD, is professor of sociology at Syracuse University. She has authored over 50 publications that examine older adult migration, living arrangements, and health status, and explore how military service shapes various life-course outcomes. Merril Silverstein, PhD, is the Cantor Professor of Aging Studies at Syracuse University. He has authored over 150 publications focused on aging in the context of family life, with an emphasis on life course and international perspectives.

Contents Series Foreword Madonna Harrington Meyer List of Contributors Chapter 1. Social Support and Service Provision to Older Adults: An Introduction and Overview Janet Wilmoth and Merril Silverstein Chapter 2. Social Relations and Social Support: Understanding Group and Individual Differences Toni C. Antonucci and Jasmine A. Manalel Chapter 3. The Aging and Latinization of the United States: Opportunities and Investments Fernando M. Torres-Gil and Courtney M. Demko Chapter 4. The Role of the Latino Family in Late-Life Caregiving Jacqueline Angel, Sunshine Rote, and Kyriakos Markides Chapter 5. Social Networks and Supports among Older Gay and Bisexual Men: The Impact of HIV Mark Brennan-Ing, Liz Seidel, Britta Larson, and Stephen E. Karpiak Chapter 6. Preparations for Later Life Care among LGBT Older Adults Brian de Vries Chapter 7. LGBT Older Adults Emerging from the Shadows: Health Disparities, Risk & Resilience Karen I. Fredriksen-Goldsen and Charlie P. Hoy-Ellis Chapter 8. Caregiving in Later Life: Challenges and Policies Carole Cox Chapter 9. Long-Distance Caregiving: Unique Challenges and Service Needs Amy Horowitz and Kathrin Boerner Chapter 10. Improving Access to Geriatrics Care for Rural Veterans: A Successful Partnership Between Urban Medical Centers and Rural Clinics Judith L. Howe, Jennifer L Griffith, William Hung, and B. Josea Kramer Chapter 11. The Synergistic Interplay of Philosophy, Place, Program, and Policy: Learning the Art of the Possible from Small-House Nursing Homes Rosalie A. Kane and Lois J. Cutler