Needs of spouse carers of World War II veterans before and after widowhood (Report 4)
Tooth L, Hockey R, Dobson A, Treloar S & McClintock C. Needs of spouse carers of World War II veterans before and after widowhood. Report prepared for the Department of Veterans Affairs, May 2011.
The overall aim of this report was to compare the health and use of health services of women in their 70’s and 80’s who are DVA Gold Card holders, or wives of DVA Gold Card holders, with similarly aged women in the general community who have no connections with DVA. The data are from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health (ALSWH) which includes a random sample of over 10,000 women born in 1921-26. They were recruited in 1996 and have been followed up every three years since then. The survey data were used to describe the women’s physical and mental health, and their use of health and aged care services over time in relation to if or when they were widowed, and their social and economic circumstances.
Report 4 focuses particularly on whether widowhood (including transitioning into widowhood) has an effect on health that might be impacted by DVA support.
