The effect of age medicalization on the perception of individual health and aging in the older

Abstract

The article examines the peculiarities of the effect of medicalization on the individual perceptions of older people about their own health. The empirical base of the study consisted of 60 interviews with elderly residents of St. Petersburg of different generations 65+ and 75+, 30 interviews with representatives of each generation. The main method of analysis is thematic. In the course of the study, it was determined that in Russia, old age is inextricably linked with the medicalization of this condition and older people form a special group that is constantly exposed to the problem of medicalization of age. In the course of the study, we found out that discrimination against older people based on poor health in old age is present both in the framework of private communication with relatives and loved ones and is widespread in various discourses in the media and is actively supported by doctors and other medical professionals. The narratives of the interview identified an important problem, namely the connection between old age and poor health, which causes older people themselves to define their old age as a time of problems and difficulties with health. The problem of medicalization itself is extremely significant and difficult to solve at this stage. The problem of medicalization of the elderly leads to the fact that barriers for the elderly begin to develop in society and old age is perceived from the position of minimizing possible health problems. In this case, it is important to conduct further sociological research focused on analyzing the features of medicalization and the possibility of minimizing this problem in Russian society and throughout the world.