Directions:
Initial Post – This discussion is about ageism and bias. Reflect on your personal perception of older adults (aged 65 and above). Consider it is your first day at a clinical site, and your preceptor tells you that your client is a 76 year old female. Does that paint a picture of your day? Do you have different expectations about the physical and cognitive abilities of a 76 year old client than you would for a 46 year old client? Do you anticipate having to provide more care for a 76 year old than for a 46 year old? If the answer to these questions is yes, then you are not alone.
After viewing this video: These Vital Years: A Conversation With Betty Friedan at 76
Please answer the following questions:
1. What surprised you the most about Betty? Explain your response.
2. Betty talks about her mom being put into a nursing home. Do you feel that ageism (bias based on a person’s age) played a role in the outcome of that admission? Why or why not?
3. As an LPN, what can you do to decrease ageism?
4. Do you feel that ageism plays a role in health care outcomes? Why or why not?
