Later-Life Family Assessment

Abstract

Despite the important role that family members often play in the lives of older adults, formal assessment methods tailored to later-life families remain rare. In this article, we first provide a rationale for family assessment at this stage of life. We then describe a range of issues for researchers and clinicians to consider when assessing older families. Finally, we briefly review existing instruments, including measures that were originally developed for younger families and measures that were designed specifically for use with later-life families. Although they hold promise, more work needs to be done to establish the utility of these instruments as the number and needs of later-life families grow.

Keywords:

• assessment
• family members
• family relations
• later-life family
• measurement