Ageism: Combatting Stereotypes

Ageism: Combatting Stereotypes is a 1-hour online continuing education (CE) course designed to heighten awareness of ageism and how it impacts patient care.

Ageism is the act of having prejudice toward, stereotyping, and/or discriminating against people simply because they are perceived or defined as “old” (R. N. Butler, 1969). Typically, ageism includes the tendency to regard older persons as debilitated, unworthy of attention, or unsuitable for employment or other meaningful activity. Why should we, as healthcare practitioners, be concerned about ageism? Because, like other ‘-isms’, it is promoted so frequently in our culture that it is often not consciously perceived, or is perceived as unremarkable, and thus accepted without question. Thus, ageism impacts our thoughts and interpersonal interactions without conscious awareness. Simply put, if we hold ageist prejudices toward our patients (and there is ample research evidence that healthcare clinicians often do), they will not receive our best care.

We will review theoretical constructs of ageism; research evidence of its existence in Western culture and in healthcare in particular; and consider the common negative consequences of this prejudice. The ways in which we combat ageism at both the personal and institutional levels will be considered. Finally, we will examine both research and case examples of successful or “robust” aging, and highlight supercentenarians whose accomplishments provide living proof that disputes ageist beliefs.

Course #11-53 | 2023 | 23 pages | 10 posttest questions