Home Support Workers and Older Men: The Implications of Masculinity for Later Life Care

Abstract

With increased longevity, growing numbers of older men are using home support services. The provision of care by (mostly female) workers to male clients raises questions regarding the negotiation of gender and age relations in the private sphere of the home. In this article, we explore how home care providers confront and respond to masculinity when supporting older men. Our analysis is based on semistructured interviews with twenty-four home care providers in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. We present four themes that demonstrate how masculinity is constructed and modified at the intersections of age, gender, and care: women and men are same, care and sexuality, taking control and accepting help, and health and well-being. While old age and the need for care present challenges to some aspects of masculinity, we find that many older men continue to engage in practices consistent with hegemonic versions of masculinity developed over the life course. Based on these findings, we make recommendations to equip workers with the resources needed to safely and effectively care for older men.