Mutual assistance and support in retirement housing

Among the advantages claimed for elderly residents of age-concentrated housing are the networks of mutual assistance among neighbors that may ensue. The extent to which these serve compensatory functions to replace mutual assistance with children has been a source of debate. The present paper compares networks of mutual assistance reported (in peronal interviews) by 600 residents of six facilities for the well-elderly with such assistance reported by matched controls living in dispersed housing. An earlier paper reported that site residents, relative to their controls, had less frequent contact with children but more frequent contact with neighbors. The present analysis shows, however, that there was little test-control difference in help received from children. More mutual assistance with neighbors, relative to controls, was found at two sites, less mutual assistance at two sites, and no difference at two. Finally, a cumulative rather than a compensatory effect was found between mutual assistance with children and with neighbors.