Full Description
Explore the needs of older women and ways to provide for them!Written by women, about women, and for women, Women As They Age, Second Edition highlights the realities of being an aging woman in a youth-oriented, male-dominated society, in which socioeconomic and gender stratification are the norm.In the eleven years since the publication of the original Women as They Age, there has been a great deal of research on the subject. This second edition is inclusive and current, providing valuable information on the needs and accomplishments of our present and future older population. Here you'll encounter women from the mainstream and minorities of all kinds, and come to a better understanding of their personal and family relationships, their sexuality, their concerns, and their feelings about death and dying. Public policies towards aging women are discussed, as are psychological and sociological perspectives. In its focus on older women, Women As They Age, Second Edition, highlights the challenges that these women present to professionals whose job it is, directly or indirectly, to provide assistance to the vast array of aging and aged women. This valuable multidisciplinary book--aimed at students, practitioners, administrators, and educators--addresses crucial issues in social work, nursing, psychology, sociology, gerontology, and economics. New subjects covered in this edition include:
grandmothers raising grandchildren
long-term care for aging women
the current status of public policy as it pertains to older women
older women's changing perspectives on sexuality
new issues surrounding death and dying
Women as They Age, Second Edition explores state-of-the-art and developmental perspectives across the professions of sociology, psychology, social work, and nursing. Also provided is a close examination of the unique issues facing older women--including public policy, employment discrimination, and social program adequacy and equity; the relationship of older women to family; sexuality and intimacy; and special concerns of minority women. This volume includes a practical resource guide that explores the services available to older women. While addressing the troublesome situations of older women worldwide, Women As They Age, Second Edition also celebrates their triumphs, accomplishments, and contributions.
Contents
Contents
About the Editors
Contributors
Part I: Introduction
Chapter 1. Introduction: Accomplishments of Women As They Age
Accomplishments of Older Women
Overview of Contents
Chapter 2. Older Women: A Global View
The Aging Planet
Longevity: A Not-So-Delicate Balance
Marital Status
Employment
Income: The Haves and Have Nots
Health
Conclusion
Part II: Multidisciplinary Perspectives
Chapter 3. A Sociological Perspective on Women and Aging As the Millennium Turns
What Is a Sociological Perspective on Women and Aging?
What Is New?
Constraints Revealed and Emerging
What Is Next?
Chapter 4. Women and Aging: A Psychological Perspective
What Is a Psychological Perspective?
Biological, Social, and Environmental Influences
Historical Overview of Psychological Research on Women
Mental Processes and Aging
Personality Variables and Aging
Psychosocial Factors That Influence Well-Being
Conclusions
Chapter 5. Social Work Practice with Women As They Age
Clinical Social Work with Women in Middle Years
Clinical Social Work Services for Elderly Women
Summary and Recommendations
Chapter 6. Mental Health of Elderly Women
Anxiety
Depression
Suicide
Alcohol Problems
Problems with Medications
Dementia
Elder Abuse
Chapter 7. Ethnic Minority Women As They Age
Ethnic Minority Status As Disadvantage
Ethic Minority Culture As Advantage
Conclusion and Comments
Part III: Special Issues
Chapter 8. Older Women's Relationships: Weaving Lives Together
Committed Partners
Perpetual Mothers
Influential Grandmothers
Supportive Sisters
Close Friends
Conclusions
Chapter 9. Grandmothers Raising Grandchildren: Parenting the Second Time Around
Demographic Characteristics
Developmental Issues
Consequences of Caregiving
Needs and Resources
The Future
Chapter 10. Sexuality and Intimacy for Aging Women: A Changing Perspective
Who Are Older Women?
Issues That Affect Sexuality in Older Women
Physical Changes in Sexuality
Special Populations
Interventions to Enhance Sexuality and Intimacy
Professional Contacts with Older Women
Future Trends
Chapter 11. Long-Term Care and the New Millennium
Introduction
What Is Long-Term Care?
A Continuum of Care?
Financing Long-Term Care: Who Pays?
Quality of Care in Nursing Homes
A Growth Industry
Caring for Others, Now Being Cared For
Alternatives to Nursing Homes
The "Oldest Old" and the Next Millennium
Chapter 12. The End of Aging: Women and Death
Confronting Loss
Facing Our Own Death
Conclusion
Part IV: Policies and Resources
Chapter 13. Public Policy Effects on the Health Care of Older Women: Who Is in Charge?
Introduction
Public Policy and Legislative Trends
Consumer Plans for Health Care
Health Care Treatment
Future Changes in Health Care
Chapter 14. A Practical Resource Guide
The Older Americans Act
Income Programs
Health Care Insurance and Services
Nutrition and Food Programs
Housing
Transportation
Home Health and Hospice Care
Homemaker Chore Services
Mental Health Services
Institutionalization
Part V: Conclusions
Chapter 15. Conclusions: Empowerment and Self-Determination
Empowerment
Self-Determination
Chapter 16. Animal Wisdom
Index
Reference Notes Included
