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Author Ageism

jajac

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  • Joined: Aug 2005
  • Location:
  • Posts: 5

Sat Aug 13, 2005 1:08 pm

Do people think we're living in an ageist society? I've really tried to be aware of any ageist behaviour on my part and that of my collegues. It's really easy to slip into treating the elderly as children. What do others think?

nursemorgan

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  • Joined: Jul 2005
  • Location: adelaide
  • Posts: 28

Aug 13, 2005, 03:26 pm Last edited Aug 13, 2005, 03:26 pm update #1

Hi jajacI don't think I necessarily treat the elderly as children...however theAustralian health care system does seem rather geared towards the acutecare aspects at the expense of chronic conditions and hence the aged portion of our population. This is ironiic given that decent management of these chronic conditions in the community would save millions of dollars a year in unecessary hospit aladmission (otherwise known as the root cause of so called "bed block")Morgan

modified: Saturday 13 August 2005 3:27:39 pm - nursemorgan

kerry

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kerry
  • Joined: Jun 2005
  • Location:
  • Posts: 13

Aug 17, 2005, 06:16 pm

Hello,

I am student currently on a placement in a hospital where there a lot of elderly patients waiting for aged care placements.  I have heard a lot of small behaviours of the nurses to be 'ageist' - like calling pads nappies etc. but then I haven't really paid much attention to it until you mentioned it.  I have had a run of patients who have expeected everything to be done for them while they are in hospital even when they are quite capable to manage by themselves - I think these patients make it difficult for the ones who given good health and able body would do it themselves (in terms of giving me the 'ageist' attitude).  In all honesty, I have no desire to work in aged care, and was a little disappointed when I found out what I would be doing here, so I guess I'm already on the way to being in the 'ageist' category.  I think back to being on the ward and it is not one particular person, it's more of a nursing culture things I think.

chajo

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  • Joined: Aug 2005
  • Location: Brisbane
  • Posts: 6

Jul 01, 2006, 11:37 am

I have been working in Aged Care for 12 years now and I am always saddened to hear that ageism , in whatever form, exists . It is important for those who set the standards for care - whether it is acute or residential- it is how we act or speak that shapes the attitudes of those who view us as leaders. I have banned the term BIB- it is a clothes protector, pads/nappies are continence aids, feeder mugs are drinking aids etc etc- just use one's imagination to eliminate commonly used terms that infantisize our residents. It is important that aged care nurse use every opportunity to liaise with our peers in acute care- consider a recpirocal shift - a come see what I do - so I can see what you do. It is also important that the discharge planners have some knowledge of aged care and RACF - the challenges they face and acknowldege that we do have valuable knowledge- just ask us! Consider setting up a network so acute and aged care nurse liaise regularly. I recently attended ( in my role as NUM) a case conference in an acute hospital that reviewed the progress and future care needs of one of our residents- it meant I could inform of what we knew about the resident , what we could provide and what acute care could contribute-it also gave me the opportunity to debunk some of the myths that both nursing, medical and allied health staff have about caring for elders. Please remember aged care is a valid nursing specialty and deserves just as much acknowledgement as other areas- we have a huge challenge to share knowledge and validate our very important role in nursing. Act now to tromp on ageism in nursing

hayles

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hayles
  • Joined: Mar 2007
  • Location: Launceston
  • Posts: 10

Mar 21, 2007, 09:28 pm

Yes I beleive there is, when I was in year 12, I studied cert II in Aged Care, loved it, its very rewarding. Anyway this particular college only had 3 students who applied, so we were turned down, but next thing we know we were in the course, but we later find out that the teacher knows nothing about aged care and has never worked in the industry and to make it worse she was a children's services teacher, I got a bit snappy at her a few times as she kept relating the elderly to children and saying how alike they were, then she had the nerve to tell me that I shouldn't work in Aged Care as I wasn't the right sort of person for that job, but since leaving High School have been volunteering at alot of aged care homes and been told different. I didn't pass the course some how my assignments were miss placed and I only received a statement of attainment. I don't think alot of people realise how rewarding it is to be working in this industry and I have noticed alot of people see the elderly as a bunch of big kids.

I am now studying cert III aged care via correspondence, very hard via correspondence, but it will defenatly be worth it in the end, I am also wanting to do EN and maybe RN later on.

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