Policy Matters: Women and Aging – a Crisis Unfolds

A new Muskie School of Public Service report on economic security shows there are twice as many women as men over age 65 living alone in Maine. They also earn 20 percent less in retirement benefits – often the result of pay inequity and dropping in and out of the workforce to care for family members. Outdated policies around social services and a dearth of direct care workers mean many of Maine’s older residents face severe economic hardship and isolation, a situation more pronounced for women. What’s being done and what can be done?