Stereotypes Of Elderly

Before starting this class the saying, “they are just losing a few marbles”, never bothered me. As my first clinical course comes to a close, I realize the flaws with that statement. The elderly are often stereotyped as not being as sharp or having lost some mental tact. I have learned many things about life from one semester of working with older patients. It is important for nurses to realize that the elderly are often more experienced and seasoned when it comes to life and what they know. If people go in with this mindset, they will be able to learn more from their interactions. Avoiding this stereotype also highlights that extreme cognitive changes and memory deficits are not normal parts of aging. These problems may be associated with bigger problems such as Dementia or Alzheimer’s. One article states that people
need to “stop regarding seniors citizens in terms of what they no longer do but in terms of what they are now doing”. I think this quote resonates with how nursing must adapt to caring for this unique population. Having a positive mindset, being encouraging, and compassionate help to provide care that upholds what seniors can do. For example, in clinical I assessed the muscle strength of one woman. She was very excited and pleased by how strong she was. This simple exercise and my praise helped to brighten her day. Additionally this article discusses how each elderly person is different.
This means that every elderly person will have different needs and require different care. Nurses need to be accommodating and allow the patient to do as much as they can for themselves. Based off my experience in clinical, this makes the patient feel more independent and self-sufficient. It improves their self-concept in many cases. Additionally, health care needs to continue to offer a variety of care options. There are home care nurses, ones that work in then nursing homes, and ones placed in assisted living. This set up provides options that can be selected based off the level of care needed. Personally, I believe that having student nurses begin with a clinical rotation that focuses on caring for elderly is a major key in reducing nurses stereotyping the elderly. I have learned so much from this first clinical experience and believe these lessons will carry on throughout my nursing career. I am grateful for the opportunity to learn more about the care of elderly patients. Discussions like this help make nurses aware of these stereotypes, and this in turn reduces their
impact.