Mature model Cindy Joseph said, “Aging is just another word for living,” yet aging in our culture gets a bad rap, and the healthcare industry is no exception. According to the US 2020 census, 1 in 6 adults living in the United States were over the age of 65, 16.8% of the American population. People are living longer, and as our ageing population grows, so do challenges in caring for them. Ageism can influence quality of care, and impede care outcomes; however, in recent literature we’ve seen developments in combating the adverse effects of ageism. 

Ageism is defined as “stereotyping, prejudice, or discrimination toward people on the basis of age,”. Ageism can be observed in the way patients are spoken to, listened to, and generally perceived. The American Medical Association provides an excellent example, when an elderly patient’s concerns are discredited as a provider chalks patient complaints up to ‘just getting older.’ A family doctor once told me, if you live long enough, you’ll get arthritis. What if new onset pain isn’t just arthritis? 

The negative impact ageism has on the quality of care and care outcomes can be devastating. An article through Teaching and Learning in Nursing states that ageism is already prevalent amongst nursing students, where students have expressed disinterest in caring for elderly patients. Ageism can also impact a patient’s mental health, their ability to receive certain procedures and medical interventions, and a patient’s ability to heal.  

Addressing ageism decreases its negative impact and is worth exploring. A systematic review and meta-analysis conducted in 2019 found that two distinct interventions have shown promise in combating ageism: education and intergenerational contact. With these two strategies we can find ourselves in a healthcare realm where no one is old enough for good care.