Introduction

People in one's life have been described as providing the ‘meat and potatoes of social existence’ (Garbarino, 1986, p 31). Supportive relationships are sources of love, intimacy and self-worth, providing tangible assistance and guidance (Lansford et al, 2005). Throughout life, good relationships are associated with better health, well-being and ability to cope with major life events. Lack of high-quality relationships is associated with negative physical and psychological consequences such as anxiety, depression, loneliness and poor health (Garung et al, 2003; Tyler, 2006).

Support to older adults is particularly important because of their place in the lifecourse. Normative experiences of death of parents, retirement, loss of a partner or close friends, or chronic illness make them vulnerable to the loss of social support (Garung et al, 2003). Across a number of countries including France, Germany and the US, researchers have found declines in social network size among older adults with such losses, although in other countries, including the UK, Japan and Taiwan, networks are stable in late life (Wenger, 1989; Antonucci et al, 2001; Cornman et al, 2004).

Social network size is an important determinant of the potential for support. As illustrated in the quotes at the beginning of this chapter, older adults with no proximate social networks may have difficulty staying in their communities, while those with family members nearby may have good potential for assistance – an important issue for those faced with chronic health problems.