Older Adults' Expectations of Support from Family and Friends

Informal support may be a key factor in successful aging. This study examined the expectations of older people for family and friend support concerning assistance, intimacy, and social integration. Ninety-one residents of a high-rise apartment complex were interviewed. In general, greater breadth of support was expected from family members, but expectations of close friends were also considerable. Relatively less was expected of casual friends. Greatest expectatzonal differences involved assistance; few differences were related to social integration. Expectations of intimacy were similar for family members and close friends. The size of the informal support network was more significant for expectations regarding close friends.