Social relationships, living arrangements and loneliness

IntroductionSocial relationships are crucial for the well-being of the very old. Two sociological concepts are essential to describe the structures of social relationships: social networks and living arrangements. While the social network can be described by its functional (e.g. social support) and its structural characteristics (e.g. size, composition) [8], this article focuses on the latter. Living arrangements are understood as patterns of social relationships with people with whom the individuals live and share their everyday lives [18]. Most notably, the relationship with an intimate partner is strongly ass…