Government policy and the living arrangements of the elderly

Although the courts and lawmakers have been reluctant to intervene in relationships between adult children and their aging parents, many examples of such intrusions can be found. Changes in the country’s demographics, women’s work roles, and the nature of the family have increased the importance of identifying the effects of government policy on family cohesion and living arrangement decisions. This paper represents one component of a larger empirical study on the contemporary extended family in America. The paper reviews the preliminary results of a legislative history of the effects on living arrangement decisions of the elderly by Medicare, Medicaid, and filial support legislation.