Remarriage and the Elderly

Remarriage among the elderly, an increasingly prevalent phenomenon, has received scant attention from the helping professions. The elderly have distinctive needs and circumstances which make the prospect of remarriage different for them than it is for young or middle-aged persons. Because most elderly people in our soclety have some kind of church affiliation, the church is in a key position to nurture and counsel them. Clergy, in particular, need to be well informed about the elderly's special needs in order to provide effective counsel concerning divorce, widowhood, and remarriage.