Abstract
The coronavirus 19 (COVID-19) has reconfigured working lives with astonishing velocity. Older people have suffered the worst effects of the pandemic, with governments marginalising or overlooking their needs. Women perform the majority of care for older people, often compromising their working lives and health. Yet in academic articles their voices are often filtered or aggregated in quantitative studies. Based on a weave of personal experiences and secondary research, the paper traces a path through UK forms of care and shows how the inadequate response to COVID-19 stemmed from existing policies embedded in health and social care. COVID-19 has severed important informal care work, rendering the vulnerable yet more exposed and carers anxious and bereft. Longitudinal research capturing the trajectory of care from the perspective of older people and their carers would lead to improved support hence gender equality.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Number of pages | 26 |
| Journal | Gender, Work and Organization |
| Early online date | 19 May 2020 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 19 May 2020 |
Bibliographical note
This is an author-produced version of the published paper. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher’s self-archiving policy. Further copying may not be permitted; contact the publisher for details.Keywords
- Care
- Older people
- Informal care
- COVID-19
- healthcarework