Nobody cares about me' : older women, caring and dementia

Jane Mears

Research output: Chapter in Book / Conference PaperChapter

Abstract

In an increasingly unequal and discriminatory society, in which ageism, sexism and racism have been exacerbated, older women face a precarious future. My task in this chapter is to make these women more visible, especially in the context of living with dementia. My aim is to not simply highlight the precarity of their lives, and to show that investing in care will generate significant social and economic benefits, but also to recognise what we have to learn from these women, who not only carry a great weight of care, under untenable conditions, but have been doing this work for decades, demonstrating astonishing dignity, courage and commitment. In this chapter I look at gender and care and the ways in which care is gendered, particularly care for those living with dementia, the economics of care, the centrality of care to all our lives and finally, what we can learn about care and caring from older women, particularly in the context of caring for and about those living with dementia.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationDementia as Social Experience: Valuing Life and Care
EditorsGaynor Macdonald, Jane Mears
Place of PublicationU.K.
PublisherRoutledge
Pages34-45
Number of pages12
ISBN (Electronic)9781351241816
ISBN (Print)9780815374572
Publication statusPublished - 2019

Keywords

  • older women
  • dementia
  • patients
  • care
  • caregivers
  • social aspects

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Nobody cares about me' : older women, caring and dementia'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this