A recent NPR article talks about ageism and how it is a lot more common than the average person might think. Even within the world of senior care.
Unfortunately, this article has some truth to it. Ageism is pretty common in our society and as a result of that, it spills over into other areas of life. That includes the medical and care communities.
Ageism refers to a prejudice against individuals or groups based on their age. In the context of this blog post, this is referring to older individuals. As a result of ageism, older folks could potentially become more likely to be the targets of negative attitudes, stereotypes, or unfair treatment.
The worst part of this? Ageism, like any other bias, is felt by the people that are targeted. They might not even be intentionally targeted, but that doesn’t make the hurt that comes along with it any easier.
It comes forth in a variety of different forms. Some of these include assumptions about cognitive and physical abilities and their worth or value because of their age. It can impact people in a variety of ways, but the end result tends to be negative. When it happens in the setting of senior care, this is obviously the exact opposite of what you would hope to expect.
This might seem contradictory. Senior care is supposed to be for senior citizens, after all. How can there possibly be ageism present in this? And how can it be a large enough problem that I felt the need to write about it?
Before I dive any deeper into the topic, I think it’s important to note that ageism is not inherently present in the care industry. There is nothing ingrained into the care industry that is ageist in its structure. Rather, it is individuals within the business. And thankfully, it is a small number of people that are perpetuating this attitude.
However, with that said, I think it is never a bad idea for each one of us to pause and take a step back while we examine ourselves.
Ageism can be subtle. It can mean talking louder or slower than you normally would to an elderly individual. It can mean not taking their concerns as seriously as you might a younger person’s. It can mean not placing the proper amount of importance on their quality of life.
The implications of this in your life might be small. They might not have an impact on the people around you. But they might. The best place to start is to take an honest look at yourself and go from there. Sometimes, these things can be present in our lives and attitudes toward others and we don’t even know it.
We believe that senior care should be senior led. That’s the beauty of in-home care. It allows seniors to live their lives where they want to, how they want to.
We’d love to talk more with you about how we approach care. Give us a call to schedule a free consultation session.
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