MATURE MARKET HEADLINE 12/28/2000 Homecare No Equal Opportunity for Women Dr. David J. Demko, gerontologist "There's no place like home." ... Well, maybe ... if you're elderly ... disabled ... and male. A new study of disabled, homebound men and women documents what many older women have known for quite some time. When it comes to home care, today's older women are getting the short end of the stick. And, the prospects for tomorrow's older women look even worse. Disabled elderly women living in the community receive about one-third fewer hours of informal home care than their male counterparts, according to an article in the December issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association. Researchers Steven J. Katz, M.D., and colleagues from the University of Michigan identified the gender difference in home care while analyzing data from a survey of women and men aged 70 and older. Researchers studied the difference in informal (voluntary) and formal (paid) home care received by homebound elders. The study respondents were disabled, defined as reporting that during the prior month they had difficulty or were receiving help with at least one activity of daily living (ADL), such as eating or bathing, or with an instrumental activity of daily living (IADL), such as taking medication, or preparing meals. The authors report the following gender differences in home care. disabled elderly women more likely than men to be living alone 45 percent, compared with 17 percent of men living alone. women less likely to be living with a spouse 28 percent, compared with 74 percent of men living with spouses. women received fewer hours of informal care per week than men 16 hours per week for women, compared with 21 hours per week for men. married disabled women received less informal home care than married disabled men 15 hours per week for women, compared with 26 hours for men. According to background information cited in the study, projected demographic shifts in the U.S. population over the next 50 years are expected to result in a marked increase in the number of elderly people living in the community who must cope each day with disabilities associated with aging and chronic disease. Women make up a disproportionate number of disabled elderly people in the community because they live longer than men. Disabled women living in the community may be particularly vulnerable to unmet needs because many of them live alone with limited resources. The researchers conclude that, "Programs providing home care support to elderly people need to consider these large sex disparities and consequences on the burden on the family when developing and targeting intervention strategies in the community." See related articles in the AgeVenture archives. Gender Varies Death Rate of Ailing Elders Gender and Age Bias in Medical Rationing Better Dead Than Bed say Older Women AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com BACK TO TOP View More Headlines