本研究取材自行政院主計處之1988年台灣地區青少年與老人調查之5,046個老人資料。分析目的有三，即 (1)檢討老人獨居比例遽升的原因 (2)探討老人對獨居之反應 (3)探究獨居對老人之影響 分析結果再度肯定老人獨居比例快速成長之機轉有四，即(1) 1950年代的選擇性遷徒，(2) 1980年代之選擇性遷徒，(3)居住安排之分化態度與(4)分化的死亡率。分析結果也顯示獨居老人之社經狀況較一般為佳，以已婚、年輕、男性及教育程度較高者居多數。進一步結果指出居住安排之功能會影響老人之滿意與否。如果居住安排能滿足老人之需求，老人就覺得滿意。最後，分析結果也發現，獨居老人比其他居住類型之老人更少從子女處取得財務與起居照顧。

This study is based on a survey of 5,046 elderly persons residing in Taiwan in 1988. It focuses on the following three objectives: (1) To examine the mechanisms for the increase of living apart from children. (2) To find out the reaction of the elder1y toward living apart. (3) To investigate the impact of living apart on the elderly. Our analysis confirms that there are four mechanisms responsible for the rapid increase of living apart in later life. They are migration selectivity in the 1950s, migration selectivity in the 1980s, differential attitude toward living arrangements, and differential mortality. It has also been shown those elderly who live apart from children were in better status. Or they were married, younger, with better education and male. Nevertheless, they were less satisfied with the function of the living arrangement. We have found that the satisfaction was affeded by the function of living arrangements. If the arrangement can fulfill the elderly's living needs, they feel satisfied. Our analysis also indicates that those elderly who live apart receive less financial support and physical care from their children than elderly living in other types of living arrangements.