Help with Activities of Everyday Life: Sources of Support for the Noninstitutionalized Elderly

This paper explores sources of instrumental support for older persons of varying levels of functional capacity. Data were gathered through interviews with a probability sample of 753 noninstitutionalized elderly residing in northeastern New York. The analysis suggests that spouses are the primary source of help for married elders with impaired capacity, and adult daughters are the major helpers when a spouse is not present or when the level of support provided by the spouse is not sufficient. Helping networks increase in both size and scope as functional capacity declines.