The growth of the elderly population in the UK and other Western societies, as well as in the USA, Australia and Japan, has led to widespread interest in the living arrangements of this group. Although co-residence patterns within the household alone are not sufficient indicators of the strength of conjugal and intergenerational ties, they do provide a measure of potential intra-household support for the elderly. Studies have shown that children who live at home provide greater assistance to their parents (both financially and with domestic tasks) than non-co-resident children. Thus, residential patterns appear to be important for exchange relationships between the elderly and their kin.