Abstract:

Considered are the social effects of demographic & industrial change on the support system of the rural elderly. Discussion is organized around a typology of support services: kin networks, paid home care, & institutionalisation. The presentation is based on background data from a forthcoming study of the rural aged in an isolated farming region of southern Ontario. In spite of the fact that the rural social system is supported by a network of primary relationships, the present data suggest that the ability & even the willingness of rural society to care for its aging members are declining. Moreover, current attempts to replace an eroding commercial base for community life with social & recreational pursuits tend to further isolate the rural elderly.