Ageism in the Elderly: A Nursing Perspective
Ageism, a form of prejudice or discrimination based on age, especially toward older adults, is a prevalent issue in healthcare. Ageism in nursing has negative implications for elderly patients, resulting in poor health status and depression. Nursing practitioners are often the first to encounter elderly patients, and they ought to be sensitive to and combat ageism. Ageism is a phenomenon characterized by neglect, marginalization, and inequalities in treatment because of age stereotypes: Ageism in the Elderly: A Nursing Perspective.
It also impacts not only the physical well-being but also the mental and emotional state of elderly people. This paper will explain what ageism entails, why it is crucial in the nursing profession, and how it affects older people. It will also present a summary of qualitative and quantitative studies, the authors’ evaluation of the literature and their conclusions, the manifestations, consequences, prevention, and resources on ageism in various contexts of care, and integration models of care practices for older adults.
Literature Review
Ageism affects healthcare and is a barrier to the efficient delivery of quality healthcare to the elderly. Vela et al. (2022) estimated that the negative attitude toward elderly patients reduces the dedication of healthcare providers toward treatment and precipitates their health. These biases lead to negligences, such as chronic pain or diminishing cognitive function, which are expected for elderly individuals.
In addition, Schulz et al. (2020) also argue that caregivers may ignore or deny some symptoms in the elderly, considering them as signs of senile dementia rather than pathologic symptoms of a disease. This not only leads to an extension of the diagnostic stage and the subsequent start of treatment but also reduces the quality of treatment as the needs of the elderly population are unmet.
According to De Araújo et al. (2023), ageism perpetuates the social ignoring of elderly persons, and it is worse in communities such as nursing homes, where elderly persons are perceived as weak or helpless. This stereotyping reduces the number of choices of treatment that an older patient accesses, and hence, they receive neglect or substandard treatment. According to Boamah et al. (2021), ageism can be easily eliminated by implementing a model of person-centered care that emphasizes the preferences and needs of the patient. By doing so, it is easier to attend to the patient’s characteristics regardless of their age and not consider aged patients as the general population.
In addition, Boamah et al. (2021) also note that organizational interventions are needed to tackle ageism in health care. Such include pre-service professional development of any health care workers on culture-sensitive service delivery, negative bias transformation of the workers, and aging clients’ centered care. In ideal circumstances, these changes may lead to better health among elderly people and a courteous perception of healthcare.
Analysis and Conclusions from Literature
As highlighted from the literature review, ageism is prevalent in healthcare facilities and a determinant of elderly patients’ care. First, stereotype theories bring adverse effects on the management of elderly patients. They might even dismiss symptoms, which may lead to little diagnosis, and rarely seek treatment.
Second, ageism perpetuates the lack of respect for the elderly’s internal world and mental health, which advanced further in homes for the elderly. De Araújo et al. (2023) point out that when elderly patients are considered a nuisance, they are provided basic care that is far from meeting their psychological needs, which are fundamental to well-being.
Moreover, the literature reveals that a person-centered approach to care is essential in mitigating the effects of ageism. Boamah et al. (2021) opined that by taking care of the personal needs of the aged and assisting the patients with preference and dignity, the effects of stereotyping the aging patient would be reduced. Implementing this strategy not only leads to the overall better health of elderly patients but also boosts their mental and psychological health.
Lastly, the need for systemic change in healthcare organizations is crucial. Doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers should be taught how to overcome their prejudices when attending to older patients. Furthermore, healthcare organizations should have the non-stigmatization of older people as a policy and ensure that elderly patients receive quality, personalized care to eliminate ageism.
Impact on Elderly Care Across Settings
Ageism affects elderly care across various healthcare settings, including home care, long-term care, and hospitals. Older people, particularly those under home care, are likely to face neglect in the emotional aspect. For instance, a study by Hailu et al. (2024) showed that elderly home care patients are often neglected emotionally since caregivers are more concerned with performing some physical tasks like feeding them or bathing. Such a lack of attention to the elderly’s psychological state results in outcomes such as depression and isolation that further worsen their overall health.
In long-term care facilities, the effects of ageism are more institutionalized. According to Patel et al. (2021), elderly patients in nursing homes are mostly neglected as they lack emotional and social interaction.
These patients are grouped together, resulting in neglect of individual specifics and general suffering of the patients. Ageism in such circumstances leads to compromised care. In addition, older adults are excluded from social interaction, worsening their mental and physical state.
In hospitals, ageism can also result in the under-treatment of elderly patients, particularly those with chronic or terminal illnesses. Boamah et al. (2021) observe that elderly patients on hospital admission are likely to receive limited therapy for their ailments, such as heart disease or cancer, with a view that they cannot recover as compared to their young counterparts. This discriminative attitude contributes not only to the violation of elderly patients’ rights but also to their increased mortality rates and poor health status. These practices show that there is a need for healthcare facilities to establish policies that protect elderly patients like any other patient.
Resources for Transition of Care
Numerous local, state, and national resources exist to assist older adults in transitioning safely among healthcare providers and in obtaining the healthcare they require. At the local level, Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs) assist older adults who are experiencing difficulty in navigating the healthcare system. For example, ADRCs give information on healthcare decisions, financial resources, housing needs, and long-term care planning so that the elderly are afforded the services that they need in order to smooth their transition.
At the state level, Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) provide significant programs that enable older people to stay at home while they undergo treatment. HCBS offers services such as personal care, home health aides, and caregiver respite, which help elderly patients manage their ability to learn how to maintain quality and dignified lives. The programs are most useful in ending institutionalized age discrimination and prejudice toward accepting elderly persons in hospitals.
On the national level, groups such as AARP and the National Institute on Aging (NIA) lobby for older adults by supplying resources for healthcare providers and older patients. These groups provide educational information regarding ageism, support patient advocacy, and recommend the policies and legislation that guard against patient abuse based on age. These organizations support both patients and other healthcare stakeholders in facilitating elderly patients’ change from one care level to another and enhancing their care.
Conclusion and Recommendations
Ageism hinders the ability to provide proper care as well as treatment for the elderly and may result in improper assessment and, thus, improper treatment and undertreatment of the elderly. These challenges stem from ageism, which is instigated by healthcare personnel who end up providing substandard medical care to elderly patients. Thus, the most effective approach to avoid such biases is to view old people with different needs in accordance with their personalities, feelings, and attitudes. There is a need to train nurses and other healthcare personnel to address any prejudice they may hold against older persons and attend to them with courtesy.
Solutions to eradicating ageism include adopting patient-centered care in healthcare institutions, ensuring that all healthcare professionals undergo education on the impacts of ageism and how to prevent it, setting measures against ageism, and upholding the dignity of older people. Also, accessing adequate funding for structures such as ADRCs and HCBS will help elderly patients transition without being discriminated against based on their age. Through these measures, healthcare workers and related practitioners can offer effective and satisfying care to older patients so as to enhance their physiological and psychological quality of life.
References
Boamah, S. A., Weldrick, R., Lee, T.-S. J., & Taylor, N. (2021). Social isolation among older adults in long-term care: A scoping review. Journal of Aging and Health, 33(7-8), 618–632. https://doi.org/10.1177/08982643211004174
De Araújo, P. O., Soares, I. M. S. C., Vale, P. R. L. F. D., De Sousa, A. R., Aparicio, E. C., & De Santana Carvalho, E. S. (2023). Ageism directed to older adults in health services: A scoping review. Revista Latino-Americana De Enfermagem, 31. https://doi.org/10.1590/1518-8345.6727.4020
Hailu, G. N., Abdelkader, M., Asfaw, F., & Meles, H. A. (2024). Exploring the knowledge and skills for effective family caregiving in elderly home care: A qualitative study. BMC Geriatrics, 24(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-024-04924-3
Patel, K., Bunachita, S., Chiu, H., Suresh, P., & Patel, U. K. (2021). Elder abuse: A comprehensive overview and physician-associated challenges. Cureus, 13(4). https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.14375
Schulz, R., Beach, S. R., Czaja, S. J., Martire, L. M., & Monin, J. K. (2020). Family caregiving for older adults. Annual Review of Psychology, 71(1), 635–659. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-010419-050754
Vela, M. B., Erondu, A. I., Smith, N. A., Peek, M. E., Woodruff, J. N., & Chin, M. H. (2022). Eliminating explicit and implicit biases in health care: Evidence and research needs. Annual Review of Public Health, 43(1), 477–501. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-052620-103528
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| 1. Individual Paper—Topic: | AACN Competencies |
| Suggested Topics:
§ Ageism, exploring societies prejudices and biases toward the elder population. § Choose a theory or model related to gerontologic nursing and related it to the care of an elderly patient you have cared for. § Choose a theory or model and write about how that theory or model can be used to promote wellness with age-related changes in the elderly. § Sexually transmitted infections in the elderly population. Include statistics, incidents, contributing factors, patient education needs, and treatment adherence issues. Assignment Instructions:
Use course content, your textbooks, professional journal articles, and professional websites as references for your work. (A minimum of 5 professional references with at least 3-5 nursing journal articles required.) Submit your assignment electronically in the designated location.
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Ageism in the Elderly: A Nursing Perspective
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