Addressing Ageism Part 2: Ageism in Healthcare

The highest healthcare spending years of our lives happen after age 65. While older adults are high-volume healthcare users, unfortunately, ageism is evident in healthcare practices today. Ageism can show up in subtle ways such as talking to an adult daughter instead of the older adult in the examination room, brushing off an older patient’s complaint as part of the normal aging process, or in more significant ways such as assuming a treatment plan based on a person’s age. Healthcare providers and other professionals in the healthcare system need to be aware of such ageist practices and how to avoid ageism in the care of their older patients.