As a group, older women in the United States today are probably more diverse than any other age group, even though stereotypes may portray them as a single, unchanging population.
The terms elderly woman, senior woman, and older woman encompass individuals whose ages vary by more than 40 years. These terms do not begin to reflect the diversity of women, who vary dramatically in their income, educational level, health, functional abilities, living arrangements, ability to access support services, and world views.
Life expectancy has increased consistently with ongoing research, new medications, ever-advancing technology, and the implementation of medical actions to prevent disease. During World War II and the postwar years (1940 to 1960), the population of older adults steadily increased. However, it was not until the early 1960s that healthcare providers really began to focus on the specific needs of the aging adult. In 1966, for example, the American Nurses Association first established the Division of Geriatric Nursing Practice and officially defined geriatric nursing for its constituents. In 1968, Laurie Gunter became the first nurse to present a paper at the International Congress of Gerontology in Washington, D.C. By 1970, the first Standards of Geriatric Nursing Practice was published (Meiner, 2014).
Because women live longer than men, economic security, healthcare issues, and social challenges of this aging population often become unique concerns of this aging population. Providing appropriate, sensitive, and effective care to this growing and varied group of individuals requires a solid understanding of the tremendous range of diversity represented by older women. Knowledge is also required about the specific caregiving and living arrangement issues faced by this group.