There are so many possibilities, it has to be evaluated on a case by case basis.
For example: I have a Bachelor's degree, CLB 10, but no work experience in the last 5 years, because I left my job to care for our kids while they were still young, and just now looking to get back into the workforce. My husband has a master's, CLB 9 and lots of experience, hence he is the main applicant even though he is older than me (because the age points difference is less than the work experience issue). But my degree and language level, has given him 28 points. Oh and another 15 for my Canadian PR brother. So even though I may not have worked in 5 years, I think I have given him a considerable boost
. If I hadn't gotten the ECA and IELTS he would've just lost a lot of points. And I do know many families with a similar situation.
Even if that wasn't the case, any points you can get for your spouse can make a difference, so yeah I agree with the poster that said spouses should get ECA and sit for IELTS if possible.
BTW, what do you consider old? Hahaha, I'm sure the majority of EE applicants are 45 and under (but I disagree about old people not having high language skills, a lot of "old" people are bilingual)