Myths on Interpersonal Relations

Emerging Realities

Middle-aged and elderly adults have fewer friends than do young adults.

The number of casual friendships does decline to some extent with increasing age. But older adults have as many close friends as do young adults, and these relationships contribute significantly to their overall life satisfaction.

The years after the last child leaves home (the “empty nest”) is a time of considerable emotional pain, particularly for women.

The relief from the responsibility of daily child rearing, greater opportunities to indulge personal interests, and increased freedom and privacy most often lead to improved personal well-being.

Few middle-aged adults, and virtually no elderly adults, have any interest in sex.

Many adults remain sexually active throughout much or all of adulthood. The sexual capacity of men does decline with increasing age, but not as much as has been widely believed. There is no evidence that aging has any important effects on the sexual capacity of women.

A century ago, elderly parents and their children lived together more often because families were more caring. The modern family is much more isolated, both geographically and emotionally.

There has been no significant change in the mutual caring shown by the American family. A century ago, elderly parents did live with their children more often, but this was due primarily to financial necessity; there was no social security system or variety of private pension plans.

Today, more elderly parents live alone because they want to and can afford to do so, but most live no more than a half hour away from at least one adult child.

Most parents age 65 and older are neglected by their adult children who never visit them, or who place them in nursing homes.

Approximately 80 percent of parents over age 65 see at least one of their adult children every one to two weeks. Most families place elderly parents in nursing homes only as a last resort, and with utmost reluctance.