The pandemic renewed a focus on geriatric care and revealed deep ageism that has the potential to affect health outcomes, but there are ways to reduce ageism within healthcare, Kaiser Health News reported Nov. 5.
In the U.S, the pandemic took over 500,000 older people's lives, sparking a greater sense of urgency for elder care.
"You have to address the root cause — and the root cause here is ageism," said Jess Maurer, executive director of the Maine Council on Aging.
Many professionals, however, are working to combat this. Here are six ways health professionals can work to address ageism, according to Kaiser Health News:
1. Acknowledge that old age isn't a disease.
An international group of experts have called for old age to be removed from the International Classification of Diseases manual as a cause and symptom of disease. They argue that the equation of old age with disease is "potentially detrimental and deleterious" and could exacerbate negative presumptions about older adults.
2. Identify ageist beliefs.
Old age is frequently associated with deterioration and fragility. This harmful stereotype isn't representative of the diversity within the older population. Initiatives like the Reframing Ageing Initiative work to shift ingrained biases about older people by encouraging us to change our language.
3. Change minds at the grassroots level.
Strategic initiatives that connect with communities at the grassroots level through workshops and public health campaigns can raise awareness of the ageism problem. The Changing the Narrative awareness campaign does just this and has hosted over 300 workshops. Its director, Janine Vanderburg, says it aims to "teach people about the connections between ageism and poor health outcomes and to mobilize both older people and [health] professionals to advocate for better medical care."
4. Re-educate healthcare professionals.
Medical schools should integrate geriatric and palliative care into their curricula more deeply to prepare medical professionals to care for the increasingly aging population. Recently, an updated minimum competencies in geriatrics guide was published for all medical school graduates. Sharon Inouye, MD, a Boston-based Harvard Medical School professor, argues that when professionals go for board certification or license renewal, they should have to demonstrate competency in geriatrics.
5. Increase and bring in expert geriatrics professionals.
The pandemic brought a renewed focus on geriatrics, encouraging more hospitals and health systems to bring in geriatric experts. More clinical trials should include a representative age sample of adults so medical professionals can understand the best treatment options for older patients.
6. Make health systems age-friendly.
Over 2,500 health systems and other providers have joined the John A. Hartford Foundation, which sets four priorities for geriatric care: mobility, medications, mentation and matters (what matters most to them). Creating a unified and standardized system for elder healthcare can help collectively bring up the standard for geriatric care.