Caring for parents

The gerontological explosion will redesign the family structure in this century. The proportion of Americans who are age 60 with at least one parent still alive has risen nearly 45% since the beginning of the twentieth century. In 1960, 14% of Americans age 50 still had both parents living; in 2000, that figure swelled to 27%. As a result, more children will get to know their great-grandparents, as the four-generation family becomes more common. There will be more responsibilities assumed for taking care of older relatives: In 1997, more than 20-25 million Americans provided or administered care for older family members, and that number is expected to rise sharply in the coming years.