How many elders receive assistance? A cross-national comparison.

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Sociology
• Cross-cultural studies

Background:

• Informal support networks are crucial for elder well-being.
• Understanding cross-national variations in elder support is vital for policy development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare models of informal support received by elders in the United States and Sweden.
• To determine if demographic factors alone or cultural/historical differences explain variations in elder support.

Main Methods:

• Comparative analysis of large elder samples (US: n=4,677; Sweden: n=1,378) aged 75+.
• Modeling examined country, age, sex, and kin support availability's impact on informal assistance receipt.
• Focus on elders with similar functional dependence levels.

Main Results:

• Informal help patterns were more prevalent in the United States compared to Sweden.
• Significant higher-order interactions were observed among age, sex, and kin support availability.
• These interactions qualified the overall country-level differences in informal support.

Conclusions:

• Cultural differences, predating current policies, significantly influence informal support for elders.
• These cultural factors contribute to variations in elder support beyond demographic explanations.
• Cross-national elder support models must account for deep-seated cultural influences.