By respecting the wishes of older people who are losing their independence regarding where they receive care, we help them to continue living at home, but we also implicitly place a significant part of the burden of care on their relatives. When an older person loses their independence, those living with them – particularly their partner – are the first to be called upon to provide day-to-day support. Using detailed data on the difficulties older people face in their daily lives and the tasks carried out by their caregivers in their own homes, we examine the influence of gender on the likelihood of helping a dependent spouse, as well as the type of tasks performed.
Women and men are equally likely to be caregivers for their dependent partners, but the nature of the care they provide differs
This study examines the effect of gender on the likelihood of offering help in various activities, as well as how age differences between spouses influence these findings.
Reference IPP Policy Brief No. 75
Presentation
Key Results
- Around 40 per cent of partners of older people with at least one mild impairment provide them with support.
- Women and men in relationships are equally likely to help their dependent partner, given the same age and needs, across all tasks.
- Women and men do not carry out the same tasks for their partners, and this is due neither to the age nor to the needs of the caregivers.
- Caregivers provide more help with personal care (+10 percentage points), such as getting dressed or washing.
- Men provide more help to their female partners with tasks carried out outside the home, such as shopping (+8 percentage points).
- The age gap between partners influences the nature of the support provided. In couples where the man is older, caregivers are more likely to offer all types of support.
Léa Toulemon
Partners
This study received financial support from the National Solidarity Fund for Independence (CNSA). It was carried out as part of an IPP/CNSA research contract entitled “The pathways of older people experiencing a loss of autonomy and regional disparities in care / support”.