Ageism in the Health Sector Paper Example

Part 1: Interview Questions

• How old are you?

This question helps to clarify the age of the person since I am specifically interested in answers provided by people aged over 65 years. It also helps avoid asking questions outside the target population.

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• What are your views regarding ageism?

The rationale of asking this question was to find out if the respondent was aware of ageism and their general views.

• Have you ever experienced ageism? What were your feelings?

This question was asked to find out if the respondent has ever experienced ageism and their feelings towards ageism.

• What do people often use to suggest someone is old?

Education, pension, insurance policies.

• Do you have friends under age 30?

This question aims to inquire if the respondent experiences of ageism in society.

• Of the age, gender, and ethnicity, which one is the most common type of prejudice you experience?Why do you think so?

The question helps to identify the most frequent form of prejudice among people aged over 65 years.

• Have you ever experienced ageism before the age of 65? How frequent was it as compared with the current situation?

The question helped to find out if prejudice of ageism is the same or increases with age.

• What has been the impact of ageism on your life?

The rationale here is to know whether ageism has an impact on the elderly's life.

• Have you experienced prejudice due to the age limit in employment? How did you feel?

The question not only helps in finding out the likelihood of ageism in life but also the respondent's feeling toward it.

• Do you think people in 20s and those over 60s can work harmoniously as a team?

The rationale here is to see if the respondent thinks the young and the old are two different groups or they are one group. The answer o the question will reveal the respondent's views on the issue of intergenerational solidarity.

• Have you ever experienced abuse or exploitation? What was the nature of the abuse or exploitation?

The answers to the questions help to highlight the various types of exploitation and abuse experienced by the elderly, and also whether they experience abuse and exploitation at all.

• There are various ways of ageism in the health service sector which include elder abuse, healthcare discrimination, discrimination in a nursing home, workplace discrimination, and discrimination in emergency services. Which type of abuse have you ever experienced in the recent past? Do you think it was age-related?

These questions help in knowing whether elderly people experience ageism in the health sector. It also helps to highlight the frequency of the various types of ageism.

Part 2: Post Interview Reflection

Following the interviews carried out among several people aged 65 years, I learned a lot. The interview provided an opportunity to understand the old people's views as well as their experiences of discrimination on account of age. The interview also provides a chance to means that can be used to tackle some of the issues that affect the old people in the society. This includes negative attitude toward age, exclusion, and isolation. The answers to the interviews question are crucial to understanding the experiences of people as they get older. All the people interviewed confessed that they had been victims of ageism in the society. However, the nature of ageism experienced by the respondents was not the same. While some people experienced few instances of ageism, others have experienced multiple forms of ageism. For example, some of the respondents said that some people do not respect them due to their age, while some treat them badly because of their age. I also learned that ageism has a huge negative impact on the elderly population. Many of them feel they are less satisfied, while others are unhappy in their lives. They feel they are isolated members of the society. Some of the elderly believe that the society accords them lower status. Despite rampant instances of ageism, I also found that some respondents do not care much about what people view about them. For example, elderly people experience ageism in the labor market since some people view them as less competent. Additionally, the answers reveal the process or factors that contribute to ageism. Further, the answers to the questions helped me to understand how the experiences of the old people impacted on their perceptions of age. Conversely, it helped to understand how their views regarding age impact their experiences.

I have learned that ageism affects the health provision to the elderly. The elderly may be discriminated or abused because of their age. Additionally, people may show no respect to the age, and they may exploit them financially. There are several cases of ageism in the health service which can be broadly categorized as elder abuse, healthcare discrimination, discrimination in a nursing home, workplace discrimination, and discrimination in emergency services. As a future registered nurse, the responses I was shocked to hear the responses. I emphatize with the older people who face discrimination due to their age. It is sad to hear what awaits me as I grow older. It is the kind of experience I wish it will not exist by the time I get to 60s. Listening to the responses, I believe that I have a responsibility to contribute toward fighting ageism in the community and promotion of intergenerational solidarity in communities. Additionally, I have learned from the elderly people's responses the importance of identifying key aspects of attitude to age which can be targeted to alter public perceptions of both the young and the old.

In the past, I have experienced ageism firsthand. From the answers provided by the respondents, I found that there are some similarities and differences with what I have experienced. I have seen the elderly viewed as people who are less competent and therefore do not deserve to be assigned certain jobs. I have also experienced people who disrespect the elderly by treating them as if they are young people. However, I have found that ageism they talked about in the health sector is different from what I have experienced. While many of the elders suggest there appear to be challenged in the intergenerational solidarity, I have experienced many situations where the old and young people work together harmoniously for a common cause. Ageism in the health sector such as nursing homes includes poor services given to the old despite paying highly for quality services. If I am to interview in the future, I will expand my sample to include people of all ethnic origin. The interviewees were mainly from one large ethnic community. Therefore, the responses given may not reflect the views of people from other ethnic communities. I will also try to make the questions simpler and fewer so that the interview will not take much time. The interview was a great insight into the lived experience of the older adults in society.