University of FloridaSolutions for Your Life

Download PDF
Publication #FAR3026

 

Widowhood and Residence1

Suzanna Smith2

Widowhood is considered one of life's most stressful events, so it is not surprising that the surviving spouse often turns to family for support. Adult children are considered a major source of support for elderly parents and may help the bereaved older person cope with the stress of widowhood . . . but not always.

A recent study conducted by the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research asked the widowed elderly how often they had certain symptoms since their spouse's death, "such as depression, restless sleeping, loss of appetite, and anxiety" (Wadley 2005 p. 1). Those who lived with or near their children showed lower levels of psychological distress. However, when parents felt too dependent on their children for help, the psychological benefits of living in the same household disappeared (Wadley 2005).

Another important finding is that parents living in the same household with their children were less likely to be connected to "informal networks of friends, neighbors, and relatives" (Wadley 2005 p. 1), even though these networks could be a source of support for the widowed. In addition, older adults living with adult children were more likely to experience strained relationships with them, compared with those who lived at a distance.

Finally, there were some grief symptoms that simply couldn't be helped by the presence of family members, such as longing for the deceased spouse. Adult children need to realize that no matter how supportive they are, that support is no substitute for the closeness of a marital relationship, but that they can be sensitive to the needs of their parents while they work through the grieving process.

Listening, learning, and living together: it's the science of life. "Family Album" is a co-production of University of Florida IFAS Extension, the Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, and of WUFT-FM. If you'd like to learn more, please visit our website at http://www.familyalbumradio.org.

To listen to the radio broadcast:

http://www.radiosource.net/radio_stories/292.mp3

http://www.radiosource.net/radio_stories/292.wav

References

Ha, J-H., & Carr, D. (2005). The effect of parent-child geographic proximity on widowed parents' psychological adjustment and social integration. Research on Aging, 27, 578-610.

Wadley, J. (August 16, 2005). Widowed elders have less stress living closer to children. Retrieved October 7, 2005, from http://www.ns.umich.edu/new/releases/5780-widowed-elders-have-less-stress-living-closer-to-children [19 September 2012].

Footnotes

1.

This document is FAR3026, one of a series of the Family Youth and Community Sciences Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Broadcast as program 292 and published April 2009. Reviewed March 2012. In the interest of time and/or clarity, the broadcast version of this script may have been modified. Visit the EDIS website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.

2.

Suzanna Smith, associate professor, Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Nick T. Place, Dean.