Darn Safbwynt: Mae Beth am y dynion hŷn hynaf? Gan Margaret Hanson, Rhwydwaith Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru aelod o fwrdd Opinion Piece: What About The Oldest Old Men? By Margaret Hanson, Public Health Network Cymru Board Member
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edi gweithio gyda phobl hŷn am y rhan fwyaf o'm gyrfa. Ond mae fy ymchwil gyda dynion hŷn ond yn mynd yn ôl bum mlynedd. Dechreuais trwy edrych ar hybu iechyd ac effaith heneiddio'n egnïol ar ddynion, cyn symud ymlaen y llynedd i wneud ymchwil ar greu lles gyda dynion dros 85. Rwyf wedi dechrau sylweddoli bod pobl hŷn yn gyffredinol, a dynion yn arbennig, yn cael bargen wael o ran ymchwil ynghylch sut i hybu eu hiechyd a'u lles. Mae pobl hŷn fel cyfranogwyr ymchwil yn tueddu i fod yn fenywaidd. Mae dynion fel arfer y cael eu cynnwys naill ai fel dynion heterorywiol o'r grŵp homogenaidd o 'bobl hŷn', neu fel aelodau o'r cymunedau LGBT neu BME. Mae Strategaeth Pobl Hŷn yng Nghymru hyd yn oed yn methu gwahaniaethu rhwng anghenion gwahanol y rhywiau wrth iddynt heneiddio. Nid oes llawer o ymdrech wedi cael ei wneud i ddeall y profiad gwrywaidd o heneiddio yn yr 21ain ganrif. Pe byddai, efallai y byddai'n bosibl hybu iechyd a lles dynion hŷn mewn ffordd sy'n dderbyniol iddynt ac sy'n gweithio. Ond yr ateb syml yw: nid ydym yn gwybod sut i wneud hyn mewn gwirionedd, am nad ydym wedi gofyn ac nid ydym wedi gwrando. Ac nid yw dynion, sydd braidd yn ddi-ddweud fel rheol o ran materion iechyd a lles, yn siarad.
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have worked with older people for most of my career. But my research with older men only goes back five years. I started by looking at health promotion and the impact of active ageing on men, before moving last year to research the creation of wellbeing with men over 85. I have come to realise that older people in general, and men in particular, get a raw deal when it comes to research into how to promote their health and wellbeing. Older people as research participants tend to be female. Men are usually included either as straight members of the homogenous group of ‘older people’, or as members of the LGBT or BME communities. Even the Older People’s Strategy in Wales fails to distinguish between the genders’ different needs as they age. Very little effort has gone into understanding the male experience of ageing in the 21st century. If it had, it might be possible to promote older men’s health and wellbeing in a way that is acceptable to them and actually works. But the simple answer is: we do not really know how to do this, because we have not asked and we have not listened. And men, being rather reticent as a rule when it comes to matters of health and wellbeing, are not talking.