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Yunting “Mary” Yu
Ms. McDonough
English 9 Honors
16 December 2012
Ageism in Health Care
Almost everyone has had an elderly person in their life that cared and loved them dearly. In return, those people who experienced that love will care for their elders back. However, what people do not know is that elders are generally discriminated because of age. When they participate in treatments at hospitals or programs hosted by healthcare providers, the quality of the treatment goes down. Those elders are experiencing ageism in healthcare. Ageism in healthcare is a type of oppression because elders have been mistreated due to age, denied certain medical opportunities, and experienced a decrease in the number of geriatric doctors.
Elders who become hospitalized are often mistreated. The nurses that care for them greet and treat them with bad attitudes. These bad attitudes often contribute to depression and early deaths for those elders. Elders are often told that their illnesses are “normal” and that there is most likely no real cure for it. “Instead of offering treatments and assistive devices such as hearing aids for hearing loss, many physicians relegate such decreases in ability as, ‘simply a natural part of getting older’” (“Combating Ageism in Care Circles: Altering Perceptions.” par. 2). In the end, elders are given negative stereotypical comments and assumptions that result in a decrease in the elder’s self confidence and esteem.
Elderly patients in hospitals are often belittled by nurses and called offensive names. Doris Roberts has testified that she and her elderly peers are often “portrayed as dependent, helpless, unproductive and demanding rather than deserving” (Dittmann par. 10). Insults like these will dramatically lower elders’ self-esteem. It has also been said that lower self-esteem has contributed to mental illnesses and basic health issues. “Elderly cancer patients are even more affected by ageist attitudes and beliefs, and as a result
Ms. McDonough
English 9 Honors
16 December 2012
Ageism in Health Care
Almost everyone has had an elderly person in their life that cared and loved them dearly. In return, those people who experienced that love will care for their elders back. However, what people do not know is that elders are generally discriminated because of age. When they participate in treatments at hospitals or programs hosted by healthcare providers, the quality of the treatment goes down. Those elders are experiencing ageism in healthcare. Ageism in healthcare is a type of oppression because elders have been mistreated due to age, denied certain medical opportunities, and experienced a decrease in the number of geriatric doctors.
Elders who become hospitalized are often mistreated. The nurses that care for them greet and treat them with bad attitudes. These bad attitudes often contribute to depression and early deaths for those elders. Elders are often told that their illnesses are “normal” and that there is most likely no real cure for it. “Instead of offering treatments and assistive devices such as hearing aids for hearing loss, many physicians relegate such decreases in ability as, ‘simply a natural part of getting older’” (“Combating Ageism in Care Circles: Altering Perceptions.” par. 2). In the end, elders are given negative stereotypical comments and assumptions that result in a decrease in the elder’s self confidence and esteem.
Elderly patients in hospitals are often belittled by nurses and called offensive names. Doris Roberts has testified that she and her elderly peers are often “portrayed as dependent, helpless, unproductive and demanding rather than deserving” (Dittmann par. 10). Insults like these will dramatically lower elders’ self-esteem. It has also been said that lower self-esteem has contributed to mental illnesses and basic health issues. “Elderly cancer patients are even more affected by ageist attitudes and beliefs, and as a result
Cited: Bowling, Ann. “Honour Your Father and Mother: Ageism in Medicine.” The National Center for Biotechnology Information. The British Journal of General Practice, 2007. Web. 16 November 2012. < http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2047005/>. Simkins, Chelsea L. “Ageism influence on Health Care Delivering and Nursing Practice.” Journaling of Nursing Student Research. Berkeley Electronic Press, 2007. Web. 15 November 2012. <http://respository.upenn.edu/josnr/vol1/iss1/5>.