NURS 3325 Holistic Care of Older Adults Ageism

Respond to these questions, including 1 outside reference on ageism. Be sure to include citation for readings. Post at least two responses to other people’s comments.

What is one example of ageism that you have witnessed in healthcare?

How do you think ageism affects older adults?

What do you think nurses can do to stop ageism in healthcare settings?

Practitioners Belittle Geriatrics and/or Gerontology as a Profession

There are only about 7,000 geriatricians in the United States, and this number is steadily decreasing. Despite the need for geriatricians, many medical students have come to view the specialty as frustrating, uninteresting, or unrewarding. As a result, many doctors-in-training rarely consider pursuing geriatrics as a profession. This negative stigma against the care of older adults makes recruiting gerontologists a tough job.

Under-Treating and Over-Treating Older Patients

Elderly adults are often told that the way they are feeling is simply due to aging. For example, many healthcare providers may chalk a senior’s aches and pains up to “normal signs of aging,” and this is a clear example of ageism in healthcare. As a result, these patients do not get proper care, and they’re forced to believe that their symptoms are just a part of aging.

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At the same time, we can also see ageism in the over-treatment of elderly patients. For example, the US healthcare system aims to give universal prostate cancer screenings for older adults. While seemingly beneficial, these screening can lead to exaggerated diagnoses of harmless tumors, causing elderly adults to have unnecessary treatments and surgeries.

Ageist Speech in a Healthcare Setting

A primary cause of under and over-treatment of older adults is the lack of communication between the doctor and patient. Some elderly patients complain that healthcare providers speak to them as if they are children, using a high pitch and exaggerated tones and volumes. This can severely damage the doctor-patient relationship.