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Any type of discrimination is unacceptable, however, many people face unfair treatment due to their innate characteristics even today. The term “ageism” can be defined as discrimination based on a person’s age (World Health Organization, n.d.). In the United States, it is a problem because the population is growing older, with more people requiring medical assistance to care for their chronic conditions and disabilities. Ageism, however, implies that this group does not receive fair treatment. This paper aims to examine the issue of ageism, outline the main problems associated with the aging population, and highlight some ways of overcoming ageism.
Undoubtedly, ageism is a form of discrimination because it assigns some characteristics to all members of a group. Kagan (2012) argues that in the United States, ageism is an “acceptable form of discrimination” that affects the healthcare practice both implicitly and explicitly (p. 60). Schniter and Shields (2014) researched to examine the attitudes of people aged 25 and 50 towards each other and concluded that both groups have stereotypes that affect their perceptions of the other group and interactions. For example, 50-years old people perceived the younger population as dishonest.
The aging population is linked to increasing health concerns, especially in the form of chronic diseases. Schniter and Shields (2014) state that the Medicare costs for the older population and expenditures for related healthcare programs for this age group are estimated at $300 billion (p. 19). Moreover, Liu et al. (2013) note that older people are more inclined to have chronic conditions or disabilities and, in general, come in contact with healthcare providers more often than a younger population.
Considering my aging, over the 33 years of my life, my views on ageism have changed. As I transitioned from being an Army veteran to becoming a nurse, I began to encounter many older-aged individuals. I think that previously, I had many implicit biases towards the older population that did not allow me to perceive these people without discriminating their physical or mental abilities. However, now I fully understand the dangers of such attitudes, and through my practice and education, I have come to realize that age-based discrimination is unacceptable. Moreover, as I age, I would not want healthcare professionals or other individuals to treat me unfairly because of my age.
I see the attitudes and behaviors demonstrated in the clinical setting mainly connected to dismissing some concerns of older adults as “age-related.” However, I heard some colleagues talk about cases of nurses and other medical professionals being rude to older individuals because they are “slow.” To enhance people’s openness to other age groups, it is necessary to educate them about the problem of ageism, its consequences, and ways of illuminating bias towards others. Liu et al. (2013) found that knowledge about older people correlates with a positive attitude. Another way is to encourage people of different age groups to share their experiences with ageism and its harmful effects.
Overall, ageism is discrimination based on a person’s age, which is a natural aspect of being a human. In the United States, the aging population is a problem because of the healthcare system’s burden and associated costs. My attitudes towards different age groups have changed over time, and I think that it is crucial to raise awareness about the issue of ageism. In the clinical setting, I witnessed older adults being dismissed and their concerns being ignored, and one way to combat this issue is to speak openly about ageism in healthcare.
References
Kagan, S. (2012). Gotcha! Don’t let ageism sneak into your practice. Geriatric Nursing, 33(1), 60-62. Web.
Liu, Y., Norman, I., & While, A. (2013). Nurses’ attitudes towards older people: A systematic review. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 50(9), 1271-1282. Web.
Schniter, E., & Shields, T. (2014). Ageism, honesty, and trust. Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics, 51, 19-29. Web.
World Health Organization. (n.d.). Ageing and life course. Web.
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