[Social networks of the elderly]

The results of a survey conducted among 535 elderly people living in their own homes in urban areas make it possible to analyse the familiar and social relationship of this population. Cohabitation becomes rare as age increases and as most people, especially women, lose their spouses. More than half of the elderly people surveyed had good contacts with family and/or friends, but, for about a quarter of them, social relations were extremely rare. The authors of this article try to define the influence of age, sex, matrimonial status and the socio-professional milieu on the various forms of relationship. These data lead to the identification of a number of groups of people particularly exposed to the risk of isolation: former manual workers or persons having had very subordinate functions (this generally corresponds to a low level of schooling); people who were divorced or separated; men having lost their spouses (overall, men have somewhat fewer contacts than women with family and friends). Widows, though 25% of them were very isolated, generally had good family and social relationships; nevertheless, they often felt at a disadvantage in social life. Practically, the aim of the authors will not be to tackle isolation and solitude of the aged in general, but to design specific measures which will meet the real needs of the various groups at risk.