Broadly, laypersons lack knowledge about some key aspects of palliative care, though palliative care knowledge is highly variable across individuals and some groups. Targeted educational interventions are essential to improve knowledge of palliative care in order to increase access to this type of life-enhancing, supportive service.
In order to engage in more effective collaboration with other specialty providers, the PCCT may consider strategies including structured educational interventions, increased visibility in the hospital, and active marketing of the utility of palliative care across disciplines.
Earlier PCC is associated with greater family satisfaction with care. Strategies that are aimed at conducting PCC earlier in life-limiting illness are needed.
The current study investigates older adults’ perceptions of ageism in the United States during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Using tenets of Stereotype Embodiment Theory and the Behaviors from Intergroup Affect and Stereotypes Map framework, we sought to (a) examine whether older adults experienced ageism as self‐relevant during the pandemic and (b) understand whether older adults experienced certain media messages and interpersonal behaviors during the pandemic and interpreted them as being motivated by potentialpaternalistic age stereotypes. Older adults aged 65 and older recruited from the community (
n
= 73) participated in a semi‐structured interview about their perspectives on ageism toward older adults during the pandemic. Participants also completed an online survey about their experiences with a range of messages and interpersonal behaviors throughout the pandemic. We thematically analyzed interview data and identified three primary themes: self‐relevance of age stereotypes; awareness of negative, overgeneralized portrayals of older adults; and defenses against self‐relevance of age stereotypes. Survey responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics and frequency counts and suggest that participants attributed messages and behaviors potentially imbued with paternalistic ageism as motivated primarily by care and concern for older adults. The findings add to the field's understanding of older adults’ experiences and perceptions of ageism in the media and in interpersonal behaviors in the context of COVID‐19.
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