Leading authorities examine the family relationships of older people and how they are important in the context of social work practice with the elderly in this comprehensive volume. They provide in-depth coverage of the role of the social worker as a caregiver in both institutional and noninstitutional settings, and focus on the caregiving functions offered in different types of service organizations and networks. Timely information is presented on meeting the needs of functionally dependent older people, older people who are giving care to disabled household members, and the chronically ill, including Alzheimer's patients.