‘My opinion is that doctors prefer younger people’: older women, physicians and ageism

MacRae, Hazel

doi:10.1017/s0144686x16001021

Cited by 15 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 66 publications

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“…Like any other group, older adults are heterogeneous and thus using the term elderly can be ageist. Ageism is so embedded in our culture that unlike racism and sexism, it usually ‘goes unnoticed and unchallenged’ (Wilkinson and Ferraro, cited in Macrae 2018: 240), and yet ‘[old] age is the only social category … that everyone may eventually join’ (North and Fiske, 2012: 982). Since discourse is ‘language in use’ and although it is difficult to reach consensus on the terms we use, it is important to advocate for the use of respectful and sensitive terms, especially as our linguistic choices contribute to (re)produce wider social and political discourses that either empower or disempower older adults.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ageing, old age and older adults: a social media analysis of dominant topics and discourses

2019

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Whilst representations of old age and older people in traditional media have been well documented, examinations of such representations within social media discourse are still scarce. This is an unfortunate omission because of the importance of social media for communication in contemporary society. In this study, we combine content analysis and discourse analysis to explore patterns of representation on Twitter around the terms ageing, old age, older people and elderly with a sample of 1,200 tweets. Our analysis shows that ‘personal concerns/views’ and ‘health and social care’ are the predominant overall topics, although some topics are clearly linked with specific keywords. The language often used in the tweets seems to reinforce negative discourses of age and ageing that locate older adults as a disempowered, vulnerable and homogeneous group; old age is deemed a problem and ageing is considered something that needs to be resisted, slowed or disguised. These topics and discursive patterns are indeed similar to those found in empirical studies of social perceptions and traditional media portrayal of old age, which indicates that social media and Twitter in particular appears to serve as an online platform that reproduces and reinforces existing ageist discourses in traditional media that feed into social perceptions of ageing and older people.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ageing, old age and older adults: a social media analysis of dominant topics and discourses

2019

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“…I have lots of experience in the school of life”. This was also evident from a study conducted among medical interns [ 39 ] who expressed negative views towards older adults and was indicated by the older adults’ feelings [ 40 ]. In any case, although physicians often have more knowledge of aging processes than the rest of the medical staff, they still display ageist attitudes [ 40 , 41 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 81%

“…This was also evident from a study conducted among medical interns [ 39 ] who expressed negative views towards older adults and was indicated by the older adults’ feelings [ 40 ]. In any case, although physicians often have more knowledge of aging processes than the rest of the medical staff, they still display ageist attitudes [ 40 , 41 ]. According to researchers [ 38 , 41 ], further education focusing on intergenerational contact by geriatricians and medical staff is needed in order to reduce ageist attitudes and could improve the situation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 81%

The Association between Health and Culture: The Perspective of Older Adult Hospital In-Patients in Israel

Even‐Zohar

Shtanger

Israeli

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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People from different cultures are often hospitalized while the staff treating them do not have sufficient knowledge about the attitudes and feelings of the patients regarding culture and health. To fill this gap, the aim of this study was to examine the perspective of Israeli older adult hospital in-patients regarding the association between health and culture and to understand the meaning of the participants’ experiences with regards to the medical staff’s attitude towards them. This study was carried out using qualitative methodology that followed the interpretive interactionism approach. The research participants were 493 (mean age 70.81, S.D.: 15.88) in-patients at internal care departments at a hospital in Israel who answered an open-ended question included in the questionnaire as part of a wide study held during 2017 to 2018. Two main themes were found: (1) a humane attitude of respect and the right to privacy and (2) beliefs, values, and traditional medicine that are passed down through generations. The findings highlighted the issue of the patients’ cultural heritage and ageist attitudes they ascribed to the professional staff. This study provided recommendations for training the in-patient hospital workforce on the topic of cultural competence, beginning from the stage of diagnosis through treatment and to discharge from the hospital, in order to improve the service.

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“…Social, cultural and ethnic differences create barriers in communication and prescribers’ understanding of the impact of medicines on the physical and mental wellbeing of patients, sometimes leading to stereotyping and reducing the role of the patient to “other” [ 57 , 58 , 59 ]. Studies suggest that age is a factor in the way doctors interact with patients, and that older patients may be disadvantaged [ 60 , 61 , 62 ]. Such a profound and systemic challenge creates, as its logical consequence, distances between the prescribing or de-prescribing event and clinical outcomes, removing ADRs from the medical gaze.…”

Section: A Professional Blind Spot: Out Of Sight Out Of Mindmentioning

confidence: 99%

Looking for the “Little Things”: A Multi-Disciplinary Approach to Medicines Monitoring for Older People Using the ADRe Resource

et al. 2020

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Advances in medicines have increased the effectiveness of treatments and the social and cultural authority of doctors. However, as prescribing has become the dominant modality of treatment, the “pharmaceuticalization” of medical practice has often resulted in treatment “at a distance”, with doctors having limited contact with patients. Older and poorer people, who are socially distanced from medical prescribers, suffer more adverse drug reactions (ADRs) than the general population. A team approach to checking patients systematically for ADRs, as detailed in manufacturers’ literature, can minimise medication errors, but regular review is rare. This paper explains the benefits of medicines monitoring to protect older patients from iatrogenic harm, such as over-sedation, falls, or drug-induced Parkinsonism. We show how multidisciplinary initiatives to optimise prescribing can be supported by using a recognised resource—the adverse drug reaction profile (ADRe). The profile identifies and documents patients’ signs and symptoms of putative ADRs. Better monitoring allows professionals to adjust prescribing and respond to identified problems with agility. Implementation of systematic monitoring will require changes to the regulatory regime and better inter-professional cooperation. Providing carers, nurses and pharmacists with a structured system to monitor patients would democratise relevant medical knowledge and help address ageism and the socio-economic health divide.

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‘My opinion is that doctors prefer younger people’: older women, physicians and ageism

Cited by 15 publications

References 66 publications

Ageing, old age and older adults: a social media analysis of dominant topics and discourses

Ageing, old age and older adults: a social media analysis of dominant topics and discourses

The Association between Health and Culture: The Perspective of Older Adult Hospital In-Patients in Israel

Looking for the “Little Things”: A Multi-Disciplinary Approach to Medicines Monitoring for Older People Using the ADRe Resource

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