Widowhood in the Aged
Widowhood is among the most stressful of life events and is, for many people, a central aspect of growing older. More than a third of people aged 65 years and over are widowed and 60 per cent of those aged 75 and over. The aging of the worlds population is oftentimes referred to as the feminization of the world, since as our population grows old, it also becomes more predominantly female. This disparity occurs because women tend to marry men older than themselves, and because women simply live longer than men. Today, there are 68 men for every 100 women over the age of 65 and this ratio is continuing to decrease steadily. There are 83 men for every 100 women between the ages of 65 and 69, and only 40 men for every 100 women among those 85 and older. This huge gap between men verses women results in a significant number of older women living alone. The death of a spose can profoundly effect the survivor along many different dimensions. There have been numerous studies looking at the lifestyles of women widowed in late life, examining, social participation, well-being and emotional response. Another side to widowhood is the financial aspect, for many resulting in poverty. All of these levels affects the
It is suggested that these events are recalled with such fluency because the story is frequently rehearsed, both mentally and to other people. In their review, Bennet and Vidal-Hall (1998), explain that "life reminiscence is personal and intense, and that it represents an active attempt to come to terms with the past." The death of a spouse is one of the most important life events and for older women, one of the most likely. Discussing life events helps widows to contribute to a sense of identity and the loss of a husband is a major part of a women's identity. It is sometimes described as the "career" of widowhood; as chief mourner of their husband.(as cited in Bennett & Vidal-Hall) Health care cost also has an enormous impact on older women. In 1986, Medicare paid for 48% of the total healthcare expenditures of an unmarried man over 65, but only 33% of unmarried older women. The income of a woman alone is far less than that of either a couple or a man living alone, every dollar spent on healthcare is a greater percentage of a woman's income than it is of a man's. In addition, since most women outlive their husbands, they are more likely to pay for the cost of a spouse's medical care, particularly for nursing home care, and are less likely to have someone to help pay for their own care. overall quality of the lives of widows. Bereavement may begin even before the husband has past away where the future widow is absorbing every detail and taking it to memory. The last days and hours of their husbands lives as well as the last days of their married lives, are all analyzed in their minds and stored. In a study conducted by Bennett and Vidal-Hall (1998), narratives were collected from widows aged 60 and older. The narratives contained detailed descriptions of the events that lead up to their husband's death as well as o
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Approximate Word count = 1246
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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