Maintaining residential independence in later life: Investigating the importance of social networks of care & support

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My research is interested in the lives of elderly people who do not have a partner (either throughbereavement, divorce, or being single long-term), with a particular focus on non-kin relationships andwider social networks. I plan to explore how both household formation and geographical proximitybetween older people's friends and families can impact their experiences of 'ageing in place'. I alsoseek to map the spatialities of care, and to examine how support extends beyond the spatialboundaries of the home. This research is especially pressing at a time when there are widespreadconcerns about 'healthy ageing', and debates about how to provide sufficient care for the elderly.Furthermore, this study is particularly timely because recent cuts to elderly home-care have resulted inan increasing number of older people relying heavily on their social networks for everyday care andsupport (Age UK, 2015).