This paper is a review and assessment of 1122 articles on families in later life from 5 journals published during 1980 and 1995. theoretical and methodological issues family relationships in later life social support network caregiving attitudes and stress life satisfaction and stress of the aged and welfare system for the aged are the major areas examined. The review indicates that this area of research in quantity has increased rapidly since 195. Relationships between aged parents and their adult children focusing on caregiving attitudes behavior and stresses for supporting their parents among the children and adjustment/life satisfaction of the aged are dominantly investigated. However most of the research are non-theoretical and descriptive in nature and the influences of socio-economic variables such as sex health economic status and educational level on dependent variables are widely investigated. Future research questions and issues under the sub-ares of families in lat r life is provided. Further directions and suggestions for future research works on families in later life in general are provided with particular emphasis on conceptual and methodological issues.