Blackwell Reference Online

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With the aging of the population and increased life expectancy in western societies, there has been growing research interest in the period of late adulthood, which can span several decades. That life stage is characterized by three major events that can affect the individual as well as the marital unit: decline in health, retirement from work, and entry into the role of grandparent or sometimes even great-grandparent. The following main aspects of the dyadic unit are emphasized here in light of their relevance to late adulthood: caregiving, satisfaction with marriage and quality of marital life, power relations, and the division of household tasks. In late adulthood, caregiving involves a considerable investment of time and energy by spouses, who are usually the main caregivers. Some couples report that the caregiving role increases their sense of commitment, closeness, and love. Husbands usually approach caregiving as a project and are comfortable delegating tasks, whereas caregiving wives usually give more direct assistance in the form of ADLs (activities of daily living) and IADLs (instrumental activities of daily living) ( Miller 1990 ). Caregiving wives usually look for activities that will involve their spouses, and are concerned with providing for their spouses' needs, whereas caregiving husbands usually prefer to do things on their own. In addition, wives are more negatively ... log in or subscribe to read full text