[This paper was originally published in Health Care for Women International, 19:423439, 1998 and is reprinted here with the kind permission of the publisher, Taylor & Francis.] Eleanor Krassen Covan, PhD Abstract This paper presents research findings generated from a study of the structure of a caresharing system for the elderly who reside in a Florida retirement community during the last decade of the twentieth century. A caresharing system is a combination of strategies employed in order to maximize pleasure and minimize losses that might otherwise be associated with communal and individual aging processes. In this instance, the caresharing system entailed a series of conscious efforts to hide frailty in the community. Consequences of such caresharing systems and implications for future retirement communities are discussed. Introduction Many Americans have begun to take notice of increased life expectancy, but as yet behavioral expectations for those who survive their seventh decade are quite varied. They are growing old without models from previous generations to teach them how to spend their time. The demographic shift raises sociological questions both for the aged and the rest of us. What should we do during this additional life stage? The current cohort of aging septuagenarians has several choices to make not the least of which is where to spend this period of their lives. The gerontological literature reports that most of the current group of older people has chosen to “ageinplace”, to live in the communities where they spent most of their working lives. This paper, however, is about a community of elders who have opted to change their location by moving to the sun belt, a region where most people in this study had vacationed years ago. In their judgment, the area offers them the greatest probability of a rewarding golden age, i.e., the opportunity to live life to the fullest. A Note on Methods I am a sociologist as well as the daughter of a resident of Hollywood Fall 2 , Florida. During the past 15 years I have made several trips to the community as a visiting participant observer. A few years ago, funding was available for a more formal field work experience with residents of Hollywood Falls. During the summer of 1992, face-to-face interviews were conducted with residents of Hollywood Falls, followed up by hundreds of brief conversations and telephone calls to others who were involved in their caresharing networks. Since that time I have continued to visit the community in the dual roles of daughter and research professor. Grounded theory data analysis reveals caresharing as a core variable explaining most community interaction. Caresharing is a combination of personal and communal strategies employed by residents of Hollywood Falls in order to maximize their pleasure and minimize their losses as they continue the aging process together. I planned to interview women to learn of their social networks, but theoretical sampling led me to interview men as well. I conducted extensive face-to-face interviews with more than fifty residents, in particular those in leadership positions. In addition, interviews were conducted with nonresident local politicians, attorneys, and professional service providers including those paid by Hollywood Falls Retirement Community and those paid for by individual residents. Family members of Hollywood Falls residents including spouses, siblings, and adult children were added to the theoretical sample when their input seemed necessary. A few interviews were also conducted with older people similar to the Florida population with the exception of having chosen to age in place. Historical Setting Like...
