To address ageism in clinical practice, GPs can adopt several practical strategies, such as fostering professionalism and self-awareness, identifying internalised ageism, and offering targeted counselling.
Ageism is rampant across society and health care and has been for some time, leading to significantly worse mental and physical health outcomes, wellbeing, life satisfaction, and longevity.
Factors that mediate the adverse effects of ageism include:
structural factors such as underdiagnosis and undertreatment of older people with reduced access to healthcare and treatment
individual patient factors including health-associated behaviours, such as failure to engage in preventive or health-promoting behaviours and nonadherence with healthcare treatment and recommendations
psychological factors such as integrating the negative stereotypes of ageing into self-image, which in turn affects both mental state and performance.
Practical clinical strategies that GPs can use to battle ageism in practice include:
demonstrating professionalism and insight
screening for self-ageism
providing ageism counselling
advocating for older patients
avoiding acute hospitalisation
maintaining vigilance for elder abuse