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Abstract
Later-life families encompass the legal, biological, romantic, and kin-like relationships
of persons ages 65 and older. Research on older families has flourished over the past
decade, as population aging has intensified concerns regarding the capacities of families
to care for older adults and the adequacy of public pension systems to provide an
acceptable standard of living. Shifting patterns of family formation over the past
half-century have created a context in which contemporary older adults’ family lives
differ markedly from earlier generations. Decreasing numbers of adults are growing
old with their first and only spouse, with rising numbers divorcing, remarrying, forming
non-marital romantic partnerships, or living single by choice. Remarriage and the
formation of stepfamilies pose challenges and opportunities as older adults negotiate
complex decisions such as inheritance and caregiving. Family relationships are consequential
for older adults’ well-being, operating through both biological and psychosocial mechanisms.
We synthesize research from the past decade, revealing how innovations in data and
methods have refined our understanding of late-life families against a backdrop of
demographic change. We show how contemporary research refines classic theoretical
frameworks and tests emerging conceptual models. We organize the article around two
main types of family relationships: (1) marriage and romantic partnerships and (2)
intergenerational relationships. We discuss how family caregiving occurs within these
relationships, and offer three promising avenues for future research: ethnic minority
and immigrant families; older adults without close kin (“elder orphans”); and the
potentials of rapidly evolving technologies for intergenerational relationships and
caregiving.