Prospects for Examining Perceived Choice and Control Among Older Adults Living With Family

ABSTRACT

This review aims to advance the field of aging research by examining coresidence with family, race, and other characteristics as potential determinants of choice and control in older adults. Living with family likely impacts perceived choice and control, as household members often work together to make decisions about care. Race may also influence choice and control, as an accumulation of challenges and opportunities create unique life experiences. This review considers human agency in its examination of choice and control. Suggestions for future research will be discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Choice and control
• coresidence
• race

Notes

1. This article used the following definitions: Race is a social classification based on phenotype; a marker for exposure to social factors that impact health, socioeconomic status, lifestyle, and utilization of health care (Herbert, Sisk, & Howell, 2008); racial difference is the simple unadjusted difference in rates between racial groups (McGuire, Alegria, Cook, Wells, & Zaslavsky, 2006); racial disparity implies an inequity or injustice as a result of a group’s race (Herbert, Sisk, & Howell, 2008).