New course to tackle ageism in care settings

Torrens University Australia is launching a new short course with an aim to tackle ageism in health and aged care settings.

Dr Rachel Ambagtsheer, Research Fellow and Senior Lecturer at Torrens University Australia, a driving force behind the course, said ageism affects older people’s access to preventative and curative interventions.

The launch coincides with Ageism Awareness Day on 7 October. 

“Ageism can occur due to individual attitudes and behaviours directed at others or oneself, and is potentially the most damaging form of ageism,” Ambagtsheer said.

“But it also occurs at a structural level, which means it’s embedded in long-standing practices, policies and organisational culture. Frequently, we see this manifest when health service providers discount a patient’s symptoms due to their age. Even the Aged Care Royal Commission identified ageism as ‘a systemic problem in the Australian community that must be addressed’.”

77-year-old Lyn Whiteway has had firsthand experience with ageism in the healthcare sector. 

“A few years ago, I went to the hospital, in an ambulance, with immense pain in my leg. Despite seeing two doctors, I was sent home. One doctor dismissed it as arthritis,” Lyn shared. 

“Fortunately, my husband took me to the GP on the way home — I ended up spending a month in hospital on intravenous antibiotics with sepsis and an epidural abscess. I definitely feel that my age was a major factor in the decision to send me home.”

Professor Kerry London, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Research at Torrens University, said the new short course — titled ‘Challenging ageism in health and aged care settings’ — demonstrated the important role of research in our communities.

“Dr Ambagtsheer is one of our talented researchers and this short course is an example of the impact our high-quality research is having on our understanding of important issues like ageism.”

Professor Matthew Mundy, Executive Dean of Health and Education at Torrens University, said creating awareness about the issue of ageism in the health and aged care sectors, and society more broadly, was vital.

“An ageist mindset in the health and aged care sectors can have long-term negative effects on a person’s health and wellbeing,” Mundy said. 

Image credit: iStockphoto.com/ariya j