Aging behind bars:health care for older female inmates.
As the numbers of women in prison have increased, so have the number of older women behind bars. These older women present unique problems for institutions trying to meet their health care needs. We report findings from our national pilot study of federal and state prisons for women. Prisons report basic services for physical and mental health care, and most report having hospice services. However, those that house larger percentages or that expect to house larger percentages of older prisoners do not significantly differ in their approaches to assessing and providing health care from their counterparts. By failing to anticipate the increase in older women, prisons may be failing to provide for many of the health needs of this vulnerable population.
Reviere
Rebecca
R
Department of Sociological and Anthropology, Howard University, Washington, DC, 20059, USA.
Young
Vernetta D
VD
D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000453:epidemiology; D003955:Diagnostic Tests, Routine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D011157:Population Dynamics; D011329:Prisoners / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011330:Prisons / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014481:United States; D016387:Women's Health / Q000208:ethnology; D014932:Women's Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*