Long-Term Care and Women
The Future
Advances in public health and medical technology promise more productive and independent lives for all Americans in the future. Women, in particular, should benefit from potential breakthroughs in treating osteoporosis, arthritis, Alzheimer's disease, and stroke. However, these advances may well push the cost of health care and long-term care even higher, which could limit access to services for many women. It is clear that the future will continue to present major challenges to women to stay healthy and independent as they age, to find the resources to assist them if they need long-term care services, and to balance the demands of caregiving with their own needs.
BARBARA J. COLEMAN
See also CAREGIVING, INFORMAL; ECONOMIC WELL-BEING; LONG-TERM CARE FINANCING; LONG-TERM CARE INSURANCE; MEDICAID-MEDICARE; WIDOWHOOD.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
CHOUDHURY, S., and LEONESIO, M. V. "Life-Cycle Aspects of Poverty Among Older Women." Social Security Bulletin 60, no. 2 (1997): 17–36.
COSTELLO, C. B.; MILES, S.; and STONE, A. J., eds. The American Women: 1999–2000. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1998.
GABREL, C. S. "Characteristics of Elderly Nursing Home Current Residents and Discharges: Data from the 1997 National Nursing Home Survey." Advance Data, no. 312. Hyattsville, Md.: National Center for Health Statistics, 2000.
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MITCHELL, O.; LEVINE, P. B.; and PHILLIPS, J. W. "The Impact of Pay Inequality, Occupational Segregation, and Lifetime Work Experience on the Retirement Income of Women and Minorities." Public Policy Institute Issue Paper (#9910). Washington, D.C.: AARP, 1999.
National Alliance for Caregiving/AARP. Family Caregiving in the U.S.: Findings from a National Survey. Washington, D.C.: NAC/AARP, 1997.
SMEEDING, T. M.; ESTES, C. L.; and GLASSE, L. "Social Security Reform and Older Women: Improving the System." Income Security Policy Series Paper, no. 22. Syracuse, N.Y.: Syracuse University Center for Policy Research, 1999.
SPRAGGINS, R. E. "Women in the United States: A Profile." Current Population Reports. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2000.
Elderly people dance outside the Cheshire Home for the Aged in Nairobi, Kenya in May 1999. As traditions change, older adults who used to be taken care of within the Kenyan family structure are having to make other living arrangements; with nearly 800,000 elderly Kenyans living without family support, facilities such as Cheshire Home have become more common.
U.S. Bureau of the Census. "Population Projections of the United States by Age, Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin: 1995 to 2050." Current Population Reports, Series P-25, No. 1130. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1996.
Additional topics
Medicine EncyclopediaAging Healthy - Part 3Long-Term Care and Women - High Costs Of Long-term Care, The Challenges Of Caregiving, The Future