Determinants of knowledge of services to the elderly: are strong ties enabling or inhibiting.

This research examined elderly people's social network ties and their awareness of services available to them. For this sample of 1,224 persons aged 60 years or older, having nonkin advisers, membership in clubs, or contacts with other community agencies and availability of transportation, education, and moderate-size kin networks predicted service awareness. Lack of available kin, the presence of large kin networks, having kin confidants, and being old, poor, and female, or black inhibited service awareness.