Factors Associated With the Configuration of the Helping Networks of Noninstitutionalized Elders

Telephone interviews were conducted with a sample of noninstitutionalized elders (n = 900) regarding the help they received with four tasks: transportation; home repair and maintenance; household chores; and personal health care. Respondents indicated that the vast majority (70.0%) of the nonspousal helpers from whom aid was being received were from the informal network and affirmed the prevalence of family members as helpers (83.2% of the informal helpers named were family). The age, gender, marital status, health and life satisfaction of the elders were all found to be significantly associated with differences in the configurations of the helping networks that surrounded the respondents. The implications of the data for the social work research and practice are discussed.