Family Ties and Older Adult Well-Being: Incorporating Social Networks and Proximity

Abstract

Objectives: This paper examines the family ties of older adults in the United States and how they are associated with mental health and social activity. We compare older adults with 4 types of family ties: adults "close" to family in proximity and social network, "kinless" older adults without a partner or children, "distanced" adults who live far from close kin, and "disconnected" older adults who do not report kin in their social network or do not report a location for some kin.

Methods: Using pooled data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study 2015-2019 for older adults aged 70 and older (N = 24,818 person-waves), we examine how family ties are associated with mental health and social activity, and whether lacking family is tied to poor well-being because older adults' needs are not being met.

Results: Kinless older adults and disconnected older adults have poorer outcomes (lower mental health scores and less social activity), compared to those close to their family. These findings suggest that both the presence and quality of the connection, as measured here via both location and social network, are critical for understanding which older adults are "at risk." Older adults who were not geographically proximate to their close kin (i.e., distanced) were not disadvantaged relative to those close to their families. Unmet needs do not help explain these patterns.

Discussion: Our results highlight that family ties are important for older adults well-being, not just through their existence but also their quality and strength.

Keywords: Family structure; Kinless; Mental health; Social activity; Unmet needs.