This week I would like to discuss a social injustice I have witnessed many times while working in healthcare: ageism. Ageism refers to the prejudice or discrimination regarding one’s age. Working as a nurse aid, I have witnessed countless times health professionals making assumptions regarding an elderly patient’s ability based on their medical diagnoses.
A few weeks ago I was caring for a long-time client of mine (we will call her Marge for the purpose of this post). She struggles with dementia and stability when walking. When the next nurse aide came to relieve me of my shift with her, he noted he read her care plan upon arrival and that he will most likely “put her to bed early tonight” and “put a show on for her while he cleaned.” When this aide read Marge’s chart, I am sure he saw the word “dementia” and immediately jumped to conclusions on her abilities. In reality, while Marge does have dementia, I have engaged with her in many thoughtful conversations regarding her teaching days as a college professor at OSU. We have also gone on many walks together, ran errands, and even cooked together. It was very disheartening to me that the new aide made such assumptions that made it seem Marge couldn’t decided when she wanted to go to bed or that she couldn’t use the remote. The prejudice this caregiver had about those struggling with dementia, made him overlook the actual person Marge was. He more looked at her as just her disease: dementia. The more I thought about this instance, the more I have come to realize that other caregivers and health professionals make judgements based on a client’s chart rather than getting to know their needs through personally interacting with him or her. Dementia for every individual is different. There are many kinds of dementia and symptoms associated with each at all stages of dementia. Treating all dementia in patients as the same, may lead to patients missing out on proper nursing care that is crafted to their own needs.
.
I would like to compare this case of social injustice to the concept of Other. In this instance, the nurse aid relieving me of my shift is putting himself above the client that he is supposed to be “serving.” Through his comments, he is implicitly categorizing Marge as an Other of society. More specifically, one incapable of basic personal upkeep. This mentality causes him to care for Marge in a way that lacks compassion and interpersonal skills. He plans on caring for the disorder rather than the person with the disorder.
I think the best way we can address this ageism issue in healthcare, is to continuously reiterate and make healthcare professionals aware that when caring for a client or patient, you are to care for the individual’s specific needs, not just the disorder.
https://dfwsheridan.org/types-dementia
Lauren,
I really enjoyed this post, especially because I talked about a different form of systemic injustice in health care. It is a big issue in multiple ways! Whether it be in racism, like my post, or ageism, like yours, the health care system is flawed in its priorities. I love that you used a personal, firsthand experience. That really elevated the points you brought to light. I think this issue is very important, and I enjoyed reading about it. Talking about the injustice is the first step, and you have done a good job providing information here.