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. 1984 Mar;30:691-693, 695, 697-698, 700, 702-704.

The Aging Couple

Janet Christie-Seely
PMCID: PMC2154190  PMID: 21279088

Abstract

Most elderly Canadians are married, and marriage both protects against morbidity and provides the best caretaker when sickness does occur. Changes in marital homeostasis after retirement may lead to illness, which in turn impacts on the marriage. The `worried wife syndrome', whereby an elderly wife worries excessively about her husband's health, and the problems of a partner (usually the wife) who adopts a `caretaker' role, are described. A framework for understanding the lifecycle of systems (i.e., the lifecyle of the individual, marriage, family life, and community) emphasizes the importance of assessment before intervention. The family physician can offer support, facilitate communication, make specific suggestions, intervene in crises, and make referrals.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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