Women's Health Australia homepage about the Women's Health Australia project Women's Health Australia staff Women's Health Australia current events Women's Health Australia surveys and data Women's Health Australia substudies information for Women's Health Australia participants University of Newcastle contact Women's Health Australia Women's Health Australia publications and presentations University of Queenlsand Women's Health Australia homepage about the Women's Health Australia project Women's Health Australia staff Women's Health Australia current events Women's Health Australia surveys and data Women's Health Australia substudies information for Women's Health Australia participants University of Newcastle contact Women's Health Australia Women's Health Australia publications and presentations Women's Health Australia homepage about the Women's Health Australia project Women's Health Australia staff Women's Health Australia current events Women's Health Australia surveys and data Women's Health Australia substudies information for Women's Health Australia participants University of Newcastle contact Women's Health Australia Women's Health Australia publications and presentations Women's Health Australia homepage about the Women's Health Australia project Women's Health Australia staff Women's Health Australia current events Women's Health Australia surveys and data Women's Health Australia substudies information for Women's Health Australia participants University of Newcastle contact Women's Health Australia Women's Health Australia publications and presentations

Women's Health Australia homepage about the Women's Health Australia project Women's Health Australia staff Women's Health Australia current events Women's Health Australia surveys and data Women's Health Australia substudies information for Women's Health Australia participants University of Newcastle contact Women's Health Australia Women's Health Australia publications and presentations Women's Health Australia homepage about the Women's Health Australia project Women's Health Australia staff Women's Health Australia current events Women's Health Australia surveys and data Women's Health Australia substudies information for Women's Health Australia participants University of Newcastle contact Women's Health Australia Women's Health Australia publications and presentations

 
 


Caring

Around a quarter of mid-aged and older women are involved in caring for someone who is frail, ill or disabled and as the figure shows, the proportion of women who are carers is increasing over time. Women who provide this care are typically less economically advantaged and in poorer health than women who do not provide regular care. Some women care for someone with a long term disability, illness or frailty over many years, but for many women their caring role is transitory and may change over time. Results found by ALSWH include indications that caring has an impact on workforce participation for mid-aged women.(1) For example, women who continued caring were less likely to be working full-time and more likely to be not working, while women who had not been in a caring role were more likely to be working full-time. Commencing a caring role tends to be related to a reduction in workforce participation and when women cease their caring role, while some return to their former employment level, proportionally more decrease their work hours. On balance, caring appears to accelerate women’s departure from the workforce. Caring also has an impact on health, wellbeing and lifestyle factors and is discussed further on our website.

Proportion of Mid-aged and Older women providing care to someone with a
long term illness disability or frailty from Survey 1 to Survey 4.

References
1. Berecki J, Lucke J, Hockey R & Dobson A. Changes in Caring Roles and Employment in Mid-life: Findings from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health. Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health, University of Newcastle & University of Queensland, July 2007.

For further information on caring, see our other publications:

Reports

  • Lucke J, Tooth L, Hockey R & Dobson A. Employed Carers in Mid-Life: Findings from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health. Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health, University of Newcastle & University of Queensland, October 2006.
  • Berecki J, Lucke J, Hockey R & Dobson A. Changes in Caring Roles and Employment in Mid-life: Findings from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health. Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health, University of Newcastle & University of Queensland, July 2007.
  • Watson M, Lucke J & Dobson A. Service use and the impact of family caregiving on Mid-aged women from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health. Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health, University of Newcastle & University of Queensland, October 2007.


Papers

  • Lee C. Experiences of family caregiving among older Australian women. Journal of Health Psychology, 2001; 6: 393-404.
  • Lee C & Porteous J. Experiences of family caregiving among middle-aged Australian women. Feminism and Psychology, 2002; 12(1): 79-96.
  • Lucke J, Tooth L, Hockey R & Dobson A.Employed carers in midlife, Findings from the Australian longitudinal study on womens health. Preliminary report for the Australian Government department of health and ageing. 2006
  • Lee C & Gramotnev H. Transitions into and out of caregiving: Health and social characteristics of mid-age Australian women. Psychology and Health, 2007; 22(2): 193-209.
  • Lucke, J. How can we help carers to care? An update from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health. Proceedings of the Carers NSW Conference: Partnerships for Better Health Outcomes: Carers and professionals working together, March 2007, pp 19-23. ISBN 1 876637 38 2.

Presentations

  • Lee C & Porteous J.Family caregiving in the lives of middle-aged Australian women: Health, stress and adjustment.Presented at the Society of behavioural medicine 19th Annual confeerence, New Orleans, USA 25th-28th March 1998
  • Lee C. Family caregiving roles among middle-aged Australian women. Self rated health and well-being. Presented at the 5th International congress of behavioural medicine, Copenhagen, Denmark. 19th - 22nd August 1998
  • Lee C. Caregiving and womens health, the big picture. Presented at The Carers NSW Inaugural professional conference- Shifting paradigms in health care: Leading practice in carer support. Sydeny NSW 24th-25th Febuary 2005
  • Byles J. Women, care and caring: A view from the Australian longitudinal study on womens health. Presented at the Seminar for the aged, hosted by Parkinsons people , Raymond Terrace NSW, 25th September 2006
  • Lucke, J. Health service needs of older carers: Findings from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health. Presented at the NSW HACC & Community Care Conference, Sydney 14-15 May 2007.
  • Lucke, J. How can we help carers to care? An update from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health. Keynote Presentation at the Carers NSW Conference: Partnerships for Better Health Outcomes: Carers and professionals working together, Sydney, 8-9 March 2007.
  • Lucke J & Berecki J. Changes in caring roles and employment mid life. Presented at The Australian longitudinal study on womens health University of Queensland seminars, Herston QLD, 9th August 2007




 
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Last updated: 25 July 2007 by Cath Chojenta © Copyright