The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1953-04-30
Elderly Widow
Has Difficulty
In Adjustment
BY CHRIS MAccILL
APP Staff Writer

AZ S9asf WriIer
The elderly widow probably has
a harder time building a happy life
than any other class Of old per-
son.
This is especially true II she is
q woman who has done nothing
during her adult life except keep
house for her family and then
finds herself suddenly faced with
the problem Of finding gainful
employment.
She is a much harder person
for employment bureaus to help
than an old man who may be
suffering from age infirmities but
still has the experience of q life
time of employment.
Even q woman who has had
working experience finds herself
up against prejudice on the part
of employers for young pretty
girls.
Employers tell employment
services that older women are too
set in their ways and that they
want people who win be with them
long time. They say their Gus
toners prefer to deal with younger
women,
Employment services find they
begin to have trouble placing
secretarial workers, for instance,
at around IS. In these cases, say
sociologists, nothing is likely to
do much good except a determined
drive to change employers atti-
tudes. A few agencies are reluc-
tant to accept older job hunters
as clients lest they become known
as "oid folks agencies"
In spite Of the prejudice against
hiring older women, the woman
who knows how to do something
Is in q much better position than
her sister who can do nothing
except keep house.
That's why sociologiSts look
with favor on the growing ten
dency of women to work for at
least year or so between leaving
school and getting married. Be-
sides giving her technical exper-
fence, knowledge that she once
has earned a living in competition
with others invests a woman with
more confidence If she has to
return to supporting herself.
That's a major problem faced
BY employment counselors In find
ing Jobs for the elderly--their lack
Of self confidence and their feeling
they're too old to learn.
Actual wage earning isn't always
the elderly woman's problem.
There are plenty Of lonely old
ladies who have enough money to
live on but have nothing to fill
their lives. Their children have
grown up and left home, their hus-
bands have died.
An old man in the same situation
often viii put in hours on q sunny
beach gossiping with his cronies
and no one win give II a second
thought. But society doesn't expect
its old ladies to do that.
Being a ''foster grandmother Is
rewarding for those who like chill.
dren. In the average neighborhood
you don't need to look far TO find
grandchildren to adopt. The little
fellow who comes up 10 inquire
what you're doing when you're
working In the yard can be given
q few seeds to plant.
Hell keep coming back 10 see
how they're doing. Presto, your
first grandson Ninety-nine cases
out Of hundred. his parents viii
be charmed to know that you take
an interest In their child.
Your church or synagogue doubt. |
less has work that needs doing.
One thing leads 10 another when |
YOU set interested In something |
like church work and before you
know i you have q whole new cir. !
Gle Of friends.
Loneliness. in old age as al any |
nther time q life, is pretty much |
ne fault Of the perSoa who 4
lonely.