Abstract
The article on “Psychosocial Challenges of Older Women and Services to Facilitate their Well-Being” starts with discussing the sources of psychosocial challenges of gender in old age such as androcentry, agism and sexism, and feminization of aging, leading to women’s vulnerability in old age. In this context, the article examines the challenges of changing status, roles, and relationships in family life as a wife, mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, and caregiver; and in marital life, and sexuality in old age. The article further discusses women’s challenges of coping with grief and bereavement, widowhood, and acceptance and planning for death. In this context of these changes, the challenge is to adapt one’s roles and relationships, find new life goals and sources of personal meaning, and a new pattern to daily life in this stage for achieving psychosocial well-being. For facilitating older women’s psychosocial well-being, the article recommends the psychosocial services of life skills development, facilitation of reminiscences and life reviews, and death education.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Abu-Laban, S. M. (l992). Aged women and gender disequity in Canada. In P. Krishnan & K. Mahadevan (Eds.), The elderly population in developed and developing world: Policies, problems and perspectives (pp. 444–470). B.R. Publishing Corporation.
Bhasin, K. (2000). Understanding gender. Kali for Women.
Desai, M. (2018). Introduction to rights-based direct practice with children. Springer Nature.
Gawande, A. (2010). Letting go: What should medicine do when it can’t save your life? The New Yorker. Retrieved from http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2010/08/02/letting-go-2.
Giridhar, G., Subaiya, L., & Verma, S. (2015). Older women in India: Economic, social and health concerns. Building Knowledge Base on Ageing in India: Increased Awareness. Access and Quality of Elderly Services Thematic Paper 2 by UNFPA. Retrieved from http://india.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/ThematicPaper2-Womenandageing.pdf.
Golub, S. (1992). Periods from menarche to menopause. Sage Publications.
Griffin, S. (2008). Inclusion, equality and diversity in working with children. Pearson Education Limited.
Helpage India. (2015). The State of Elderly in India Report 2014. Retrieved from https://www.helpageindia.org/images/pdf/state-elderly-india-2014.pdf.
Helpage International. (2012). Ageing in the Twenty-First Century: A Celebration and a Challenge. Retrieved from https://www.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/Ageing%20report.pdf.
Hooyman, N. R. (1987). Older women and social work curricula. In D. S. Burden & N. Gottlieb (Eds.), The woman client: Providing women services in a changing world (pp. 263–279). Tavistock Publications.
India: Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation. (2016). Elderly in India—Profile and Programmes 2016, New Delhi. Retrieved from http://www.mospi.gov.in/sites/default/files/publication_reports/ElderlyinIndia_2016.pdf.
Kail, R. V., & Cavanaugh, J. C. (2007). Human development: A life span view (4th ed.). Thomson.
Kapadia, K. M. (1966). Marriage and family in India. Oxford University Press.
Kua, E. H., & Ko, S. M. (Eds.). (1998). A ripe old age. Sage Publication.
McInnis-Dittrich, K. (2005). Social work with elders: A biopsychosocial approach to assessment and intervention. Pearson.
National Institute on Aging. (2016). End of Life: Helping with Comfort and Care. Retrieved from http://www.hadassah-med.com/media/2023722/endoflifehelpingwithcomfortcare.pdf.
Newman, B. M., & Newman, P. R. (2009). Development through Life: A psychosocial approach (10th ed.). Brooks/Cole.
Pereira, W. (1997). Inhuman rights: The western system and global human rights abuse. The Other India Press.
Population Reference Bureau. (2012). India’s aging population. Today’s Research on Aging, 25. Retrieved from http://www.prb.org/pdf12/todaysresearchaging25.pdf.
Powell, J. L. (2001). Theorising Social Gerontology: The Case of Social Philosophies of Age. Retrieved from: https://www.sincronia.cucsh.udg.mx/powell.htm
Rojas, T. D. P. (2016). Subjective Well-Being: Your Life, Your Happiness. Retrieve from https://positivepsychology.com/subjective-well-being/.
Serrano, J. P. (2016). Reminiscence. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/301694321_Reminiscence.
Shah, G., Veedon, R., & Vasi, S. (1995). Elder abuse in India. Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect, 6(3/4), 101–118.
Starr, B. D. (1987). Sexuality. In The Encyclopedia of aging. Springer Publishing Co.
Stets, J. E., & Burke, P. K. (2000). Femininity/masculinity. In E. F. Borgatta & R. J. V. Montgomery (Eds.), Encyclopedia of sociology (revised ed., pp. 997–1005). Macmillan. Retrieved from http://wat2142.ucr.edu/Papers/00b.pdf.
The Women’s Health Council. (2008). Menopause: A Guide. Retrieve from https://www.healthpromotion.ie/hp-files/docs/HPM00069.pdf.
Turner, B. F. (1994). Introduction. In B. F. Turner & L. E. Troll (Eds.), Women growing older: Psychological perspectives (pp. 1–34). Sage Publications.
United Nations. (1993). Older persons in the family: Facets of empowerment. Occasional Papers Series No. 4, Vienna.
United Nations. (2011). Current Status of the Social Situation, Wellbeing, Participation in Development and Rights of Older Persons Worldwide, New York. Retrieved from https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=httppercent3Apercent2Fpercent2Fwww.un.orgpercent2Fageingpercent2Fdocumentspercent2Fpublicationspercent2Fcurrent-status-older-persons.pdf.
United Nations. (2015). World Population Ageing. Retrieved from http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/publications/pdf/ageing/WPA2015_Report.pdf.
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). (2011). Demographics of Population Ageing in India. Retrieved from http://www.isec.ac.in/BKPAIpercent20Workingpercent20paperpercent201.pdf.
Vatuk, S. (1975). The aging woman in India: Self-perception and changing roles. In A. DeSouza (Ed.), Women in contemporary India: Traditional images and changing roles (pp. 142–163). Manohar.
Vázquez, C., Hervás, G., Rahona, J. J., & Gómez, D. (2009). Psychological well-being and health. Contributions of positive psychology. Annuary of Clinical and Health Psychology, 5, 15–27.
Williams, S., Seed, J., & Mwau, A. (1994). The Oxfam gender training manual. Oxfam.
World Health Organization. (1996). Research on the Menopause in the 1990s, Geneva.
World Health Organization. (2002). Active Ageing: A Policy Framework. Retrieved from http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/67215/1/WHO_NMH_NPH_02.8.pdf.
World Health Organization. (2007). Women, Ageing and Health: A Framework for Action. Retrieved from September 5, 2019 http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/43810/1/9789241563529_eng.pdf.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2021 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Desai, M. (2021). Psychosocial Challenges of Older Women and Services to Facilitate Their Well-Being. In: Shankardass, M.K. (eds) Older Women and Well-Being. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-4605-8_16
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-4605-8_16
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-16-4604-1
Online ISBN: 978-981-16-4605-8
eBook Packages: Behavioral Science and PsychologyBehavioral Science and Psychology (R0)