"Continuing to Care?" describes the challenges of an aging America and changing family system. Caregiving has always been a primary obligation of the family based on an informal intergenerational contract that specifies "who owes what to whom." This system of intergenerational reciprocity has been a central feature of American family life and has formed the foundation for successful social programs such as Social Security and Medicare that support older Americans.
Recent changes in the American family threaten the intergenerational family contract. Changing definitions of family,...