Analyzed 1,160 court records to determine whether implementation of recommended procedural safeguards and guardianship practices was associated with outcomes of hearings for older adults. Presence of proposed ward at the hearing was not related to decisions about guardianship. Proposed wards who retained their own counsel were more likely to…

Examined the influence of a confidant and the characteristics of that relationship on the well-being of 1,200 older men. In general, the presence of a confidant or characteristics of the confidant (sex, age, contact, frequency) had little influence on well-being. Intimacy and disclosure may be less important to men. (JAC)

Studied health and finances among 1,782 older unmarried persons. Examined effect of financial strain on physical health over time and degree to which vulnerability to financial strain was linked to health. Found no evidence that financial strain contributed to poor health. (Author/NB)

Interviewed 136 female heads of households in rural Sri Lanka. Found that marital status figured more importantly than age in use of health services. Concludes that, as unmarried heads of households increase in less developed places, their demands for health care at the village level likely will escalate. (Author/NB)

Results of interviews with 173 younger and 163 middle-aged and older couples revealed that life strains were more closely linked to patterns of depressive symptoms in younger couples with strains tending to be greatest for couples in which both spouses reported depressive symptoms. (Author)

Used individual modernity as measure of modernization and decision-making power to assess status of aged at micro level. Examined how modernity, family environment, and demographic characteristics affect status of aged in extended family. Data were analyzed from 252 Korean elderly living with married child. Found that individual modernity was…