Doctoral Program in Economics, Cuny Graduate Center, New York, NY 10016, USA.
Soc Work Health Care. 2009;48(7):665-95. doi: 10.1080/00981380902921732.
Caregiving issues are important for industrialized societies that have been undergoing population aging. In this article we consider caregiving as a factor in the outlook for midlife and older women with respect to economic security and economic advancement. We use demographic and economic data from the United States, France, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, in particular to document the importance of continued labor force participation for older women to make ends meet in an era of high household costs of physician services, prescription drugs, and other health-related services, and uncertainties about pensions. Data on employment status, industry, and occupation of economically active women in comparison with men indicate the extent of both gender gaps and progress affecting women's resources. The research of Dr. Myrna Lewis was a stimulus to the present exploration. Our conclusion discusses the implications for women's welfare of policy initiatives relating to care of elderly disabled, including improving services to family caregivers, assuring social financing of formal care, raising local provisions to a national standard, and supporting women's return to the labor force after a period of caregiving. In the context of population aging and longevity, such initiatives are responsive to women's need for earned income to attain retirement security.
照顾问题对于经历人口老龄化的工业化社会非常重要。本文考虑了照顾问题对中年和老年女性的经济安全和经济发展前景的影响。我们使用了来自美国、法国、瑞典和英国的人口和经济数据，特别说明了在医疗服务、处方药和其他与健康相关的服务费用高企、养老金不确定的时代，老年女性继续参与劳动力市场对于维持生计的重要性。比较经济活跃的女性和男性的就业状况、行业和职业数据，表明了性别差距的程度以及影响女性资源的进步。Myrna Lewis 博士的研究为本次探索提供了灵感。我们的结论讨论了与照顾老年残疾有关的政策举措对妇女福利的影响，包括改善对家庭照顾者的服务，确保正规护理的社会融资，将地方规定提高到国家标准，并支持妇女在照顾期后重返劳动力市场。在人口老龄化和长寿的背景下，这些举措回应了妇女获得收入以实现退休保障的需要。
