When my husband went on permanent, early disability due to several life threatening health problems involving cancer, kidneys, and heart . . .
although I have worked PT ALL MY LIFE in addition to FT homemaking, child rearing, and homeschooling of five excellent kids. . .
I could not even get an interview. Even with strong local references and plenty of connections. I tried for a year. I drive a taxi now. Thankfully I wasn’t dumped.
So no, there are not lucrative opportunities for women in their fifties with no educational credits and no career building activities in their past.
Its so easy to get a job right now. Insanely easy. Might be the best job market in human history. My brother got out of prison in mid-2019 at the age of 38 with 56 felonies (including 1st degree kidnapping), no HS diploma and no job history (been in prison for 20 years) and has had 12 jobs in the last 4 years in a smallish town outside of Greensboro NC. Currently makes $22/hr in a very cheap to live town.
May not be the job you want to start, but good employees stand out and move up quickly (I’ve been promoted ~15 times in my 21 year career). You might have benefited from working with a recruiter or coach that could help you with a resume and interview practice/feedback. Someone in your situation probably did not interview well would be my guess, or were shooting too high to start.