Gender Differences in Formal Care Use in Later Life

This article assesses gender differences in the use of formal versus informal sources of in-home care among impaired elders. Data from the 1984 panel of the Survey of Income and Program Participation are used in the analysis. The results suggest that married women are more likely to receive formal care than are married men, but this pattern does not hold for the unmarried. This result is consistent with gendered expectations regarding caregiving and receipt within the marital unit.