If I had to guess the point was it didn't need to fall to one person to do everything, as most of the article is devoted to highlighting. I don't think traditional roles played as much a causal part in that as the general population pyramid though.

They definitely did, and such care fell upon the housewife or mother (and in the absence of the housewife... Yeah, people died poor and ugly deaths in old age).

Since we won't and shouldn't solve this problem by going back to the traditional patriarchal family structure, we must look to other alternatives. And one such alternative would be finding a way to recouple labor to employee earnings such that a married couple with one working spouse can support a family of four.

It’s the wife, at home, not working and able to take on this task without the household falling apart.