Science - February 19, 2004
Wives keep older men on the ball
When an elderly man loses his wife he is more likely to lose his ability to take care of himself. This is the conclusion of research carried out in a joint project between Wageningen University, the public health organisation RIVM and Finnish scientists.
The researchers find their results worrying. The numbers of elderly people living alone are increasing, and therefore the numbers likely to need help from care organisations are also on the rise. The research has been published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
Willem Koert