Investments and focus to empower older women, the fastest growing part of Canada’s population, are necessary according to a recent report from the Women’s Age Lab at Women’s College Hospital.
In a call for collective action and a concerted effort for Canadians to produce more women’s health research, Women at the forefront of aging in Canada: Challenging the status quo, highlights deep research gaps that have traditionally sold women short—particularly those over the age of 65.
It’s time to differentiate! Citing the need to stop lumping women of all ages together homogeneously and the necessity of recognizing the cross-cutting issue of gendered ageism, the Women’s Age Lab researchers note that only women’s reproductive health has been an area of focus with other areas sadly lacking. In addition, they suggest that, “Whether in health research or policy, the experiences of those 65 years-of-age and older have been considered as one category when in reality, a 65-year-old is different from an 80 year-old, who is different from a 95 year old”.
Dangerous status quo
Indeed, evidence points to the fact that our status quo makes older women even more vulnerable. An 85-year-old woman is at greater risk when facing her daily health and systemic challenges but, at present, her age group is often overlooked in policymaking, research and healthcare service delivery. One prime example is the fact that are way more pediatricians graduating and in practice than geriatricians which is a noted imbalance based on population statistics. A second, only 5.9% of grants in Canada and UK are shown to focus on female scientific outcomes.
Living longer at risk
Women live an average of 4 years longer than men in Canada and make up the majority of the country’s long term care residents. They are more than likely to outlive their spouse and experience loneliness and are more likely to develop multiple chronic conditions that may require medication management. They are at greater risk of drug related harm. Older women are more prone to poverty due to the gender pay inequity, pension gaps, and lifetime unpaid caregiving responsibilities and face cumulative disadvantage due to their sex (biological), gender (sociocultural) and age in the form of gendered ageism.
Impact of loneliness
The Age Lab report also points out that in Canada older women are twice as likely to live alone than men and 40% of those who live alone experience loneliness which puts individuals at a greater risk of heart disease, stroke, hypertension, dementia, diabetes, depression, anxiety and premature death.
Regardless of where they live, the report suggests that life events that affect older women such as retirement, death of a spouse, and illness are also serious considerations when it comes to day-to-day health and feelings of loneliness. Intensifying loneliness are also factors such as unmet care needs, isolation and lack of financial resources/poverty (older women face a 21.8% pension gap compared to men).
Report recommendations
According to Women’s Age Lab researchers who authored the report, a first basic step is the need to recognize the fact that older women’s needs are different than those of older men and different than those of younger women. And then we must act accordingly. The report’s way forward recommendation is for a more inclusive, sustainable future that’s tailored to inclusion of older women. Aside from more robust research programs, change is required in enhanced data collection, tailored interventions and guidelines that consider sex, gender, and age difference to minimized drug harm and improve outcomes and supporting their preferences to aging in place.
In their conclusions they call for three main things to actively enact strategies that promote the health and wellbeing of older women:
1) The “development of a national strategy that supports older adults and considers the distinct needs of older women
2) Mandated consideration of older adults and women in research across Canada to gain a comprehensive understanding of their needs
3) Use evidence and guidance based on sex, gender and age differences to better meet their unique health needs.
To read the full report: womensacademics.ca/womens-age-lab/
Kylie MacKenzie is a freelance writer and often writes for the Canadian Abilities Foundation (CAF).
Photo: iStock
