Objectives Media sources have consistently described older adults as a medically vulnerable population during the COVID-19 pandemic, yet a lack of concern over their health and safety has resulted in dismissal and devaluation. This unprecedented situation highlights ongoing societal ageism and its manifestations in public discourse. This analysis asks how national news sources performed explicit and implicit ageism during the first month of the pandemic. Methods Using content and critical discourse analysis methods, we analyzed 287 articles concerning older adults and COVID-19 published between March 11 and April 10, 2020, in four major U.S.-based newspapers. Results Findings indicate that while ageism was rarely discussed explicitly, ageist bias was evident in implicit reporting patterns (e.g., frequent use of the term “elderly,” portrayals of older adults as “vulnerable”). Infection and death rates and institutionalized care were among the most commonly reported topics, providing a limited portrait of aging during the pandemic. The older “survivor” narrative offers a positive alternative by suggesting exceptional examples of resilience and grit. However, the survivor narrative may also implicitly place blame on those unable to survive or thrive in later life. Discussion This study provides insight for policy makers, researchers, and practitioners exploring societal perceptions of older adults and how these perceptions are disseminated and maintained by the media.
The media has consistently described older adults as the population most vulnerable to COVID-19. Anti-ageism critics have taken issue with the oft-repeated statement that “only” older adults are at risk, a construction that dismisses and devalues the nuances within this population. The purpose of this study was to analyze instances of ageism in national media sources during the first month of the COVID-19 pandemic. A systematic search returned 287 articles concerning older adults and COVID-19 published in four major newspapers in the United States—USA Today, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and The Washington Post—between March 11 and April 10, 2020. Combining the strengths of content analysis and critical discourse analysis, we deductively and inductively reviewed the articles for patterns related to implicit and explicit forms of ageism. While ageism was rarely discussed explicitly, ageist bias was evident in implicit reporting patterns, such as frequent use of the phrase the elderly, which was often paired with statements describing older adults as vulnerable. Infection and death rates among older adults, as well as institutionalized care practices, were among the most commonly reported topics, providing a limited portrait of aging during the pandemic. While some authors utilized a survivor narrative by portraying older adults as having survived hardships, this construction implicitly places blame on those unable to do so. Older adults, when quoted directly, produced more complex and nuanced narratives of aging during the COVID-19 pandemic. Such narratives can combat societal ageism and promote self-determination and -definition.
Many older adults remain sexually interested and active in later life. However, little is known about how sexual policies and practices in skilled-nursing facilities (SNF) address sexual activities of residents with cognitive impairment and dementia. This study seeks to identify the current sexual policies and staff’s perspectives related to residents with cognitive impairment or dementia in SNFs in Kansas. Online surveys and mailed surveys were distributed to administrators from all 364 SNFs in Kansas in June 2020. 60 long-term care facilities (16.5%) answered the survey. Of 60 survey respondents, 22 facilities (36.7%) have a policy addressing sexual expression and 19 of those policies (94.7%) address issues related to cognitive impairment, competency, or dementia. 77.4% had trained their staff on the impact on sexual expression for those with cognitive impairment or dementia once or more than once during the past year. 73.3% of administrators stated that their staff would respond differently to sexual expression among individuals with dementia or cognitive impairment compared to other residents, often noting issues related to consent and capacity. 55.2% reported any sexual expression among residents with dementia within the past year. Findings indicated that there is a lack of overall sexual policies, but those that exist are likely to address residents with cognitive impairment or dementia. Although there is evidence of training and attention to issues related to sexual expression in individuals with dementia or cognitive impairment, there is a need for further efforts to establish practice norms and policies around more complex or nuanced situations.
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