Another grandma, of course. Older people, age 60-plus, throughout the world are playing an increasingly important role in caring for relatives, according to a new report from the Census Bureau. The image of the caregiver is changing. In many cases, the elderly are themselves the caregivers, whether they are caring for a spouse, a sibling, a child or a grandchild. The report also found that in many developed countries in the West, older women are much more likely to live alone than are older men, partly because they are more likely to be widowed than are men.
Spouse provides primary care.
For many older people, their spouse provides their primary care. This occurs in both developed and developing nations, for both men and women. Family feel the squeeze. Burden shifts from developed to developing countries. Developed countries are currently home to the majority of those age 80 and older, or about 36 million people.