ABSTRACT
Worldwide, the size of the older population is increasing more than that of the overall population and will increase further as the ‘baby boomer’ generation born between 1945 and 1954 ages, leading to concerns about securing good care for older people.1 Traditional patterns of care of the elderly are changing and more are electing and wish to live independently of their families, either in their own homes or in residential care (see Chapter 1). The pattern of provision of care is also shifting, with more emphasis on home than residential care. Increased life expectancy is accompanied by a rise in disability-free life expectancy and years lived with disability and their relative proportions vary in different countries.2,3
The ways in which care of the elderly, both with and without disability, can best be delivered is of great concern to governments, and in the UK has been most recently addressed by the Wanless Report published in 2006.1
This chapter focuses on common challenges for care of women over 70 in three settings: home, residential, and palliative. Their needs and how they can be met in their own homes, as well as ensuring acceptable quality of life in a residential setting, are examined. The implications of new technologies such as telecare and dedicated housing are discussed, as well as the needs and support required for both formal and informal carers.
