Economic Consequences of Ageism on the Elderly and the American Healthcare System - Research Paper Example

Abstract The word “ageism” was invented in 1968 by Robert Butler. Many old persons experience ageism in the workplace, health care and the media. Negative stereotypes and negative attitudes are faced by the aged persons. The nine foremost stereotypes faced by the elderly population are sickness, impotency, health decline, mental illness, poverty, gloominess, isolation, unattractiveness and futility. Elderly patients do not get sufficient awareness of preventive measures as compared to younger patients. Clinical treatment trials generally keep out elderly people in their 70s from participating in the surveys. Doctors give less attention to the mature patients in case of limited resources. Old persons have less employment opportunities and have a lower pay scale as compared to younger employees. The 1967 Equal Employment opportunity Commission provides protection to job applicants and employees from discrimination on the basis of mature age. Aged Americas are an important part of society and can still contribute towards nation building. Key words: ageism, stereotype, old, health care ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES OF AGEISM ON THE ELDERLY AND THE AMERICAN HEALTH CARE SYSTEM The word “ageism” was coined in 1968 by Robert Butler. The media accepted the term and later it found its way into The Oxford English Dictionary. Ageism has been reported by many old persons and is widely present in the country’s establishment resulting in bigotry in the media, workplace, healthcare and language. For instance, presence of discrimination in case of appointing older persons, absence of health care in health care institutions, the use of abusive language and the negative portrayal of old persons in cartoons showing them as ugly, cantankerous and dirty (Butler, 2006). Palmore (1999) states that negative stereotypes and negative manners are the two forms of discrimination against elders. In case of a particular group, overstated or misguided beliefs are the stereotypes. Negative feelings about a certain group can be called as the negative attitudes. Sickness, impotency, health decline, mental illness, poverty, gloominess, isolation, unattractiveness and futility are the major nine stereotypes depicting bias against elders. A major discrimination against elders is made on the basis of illness faced by majority of their population. About half of the American population believes that poor health is a grave trouble faced by majority of people over 65. However, the fact is that most of the elderly people which constitute more than 85 percent of the elderly population take on strong activities of daily life like ingestion, bathing, etc. Only about 5 percent of these elderly persons are hospitalized. Another stereotype is that older persons have no desire for sexual activity and those who spend ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES OF AGEISM ON THE ELDERLY AND THE AMERICAN HEALTH CARE SYSTEM time in such action can be called as ethically nasty or at the slightest peculiar. The truth is that persons crossing the age of 65 have concern and capability for sexual relationships. They have freedom from alarm of pregnancy, job stress and childbearing errands, free time and more grown-up relations. Ugliness of old people is another common stereotype. Beauty is associated with youth and women particularly fear the loss of their beauty as a result of aging. In contrast to our culture, some cultures like those of the Japanese tend to associate wrinkles and gray hair with insight, development and long term service. Palmore (1999) states that it is thought that age increase from middle age is associated with a decline in ability to learn and remember. But most aged adults tend to keep hold of learning abilities. Illness, lack of education, style of learning, practice and enthusiasm are the key factors that can explain the differences between young and old persons. Most old persons are not senile and only about 3 percent of them face mental abnormalities and are hospitalized. The stereotype that old persons are useless is also wrong and studies indicate that old persons can perform in the same way as younger persons. Speed and accuracy show a decline with age but, in the case of jobs relying on intellectual performance, there is not so much decline in persons until the 70sin and longer in some persons. It is believed by about two thirds of people under the age of 65 that lonesomeness is a grave dilemma for people past the age of 65.On the other hand, the truth is that only about 4 percent of the elderly persons are lonely and most of them live in connection with their family unit or ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES OF AGEISM ON THE ELDERLY AND THE AMERICAN HEALTH CARE SYSTEM partner. A decline in social activity has been pointed by some studies but the overall number of persons in the social circle tends to remain the same. Palmore (1999) narrates that another stereotype about old persons is that they are poor. About two thirds of the population under the age of 65 thinks that people past the age of 65 do not have sufficient amount of money to survive. But the reality is that most elderly persons have incomes higher than the state-run poverty rank. They have more possessions as compared to younger persons. Since the aged persons are thought to be lonely, poor, mentally ill and ugly, it is understood that they are dejected. However, this assumption is wrong also. A countrywide survey reported about half of the elderly population to be just as happy as they were in the young age. About one third of the old ones even said that these are the finest days of their lives (Palmer, 1999). When there is a need of mental health care and services, old persons are treated in a very reserved manner. The U.S Census Bureau estimates the elderly population to comprise 12.7% of the population, yet only 2% of them receives private care, population between 4% and 7% receive community mental fitness care and the inpatient psychiatric care is received by only about 9% (Rob, Chen and Hailey, 2002). The main focus of health care is the elderly population; still there is a neglect, thoughtlessness and maltreatment shown towards them (Moore, 2008). It is a truth that 1 million to three million of elderly American population are abused, mistreated and demoralized by those on whom they depend for shelter. President Bush’s 2006 FY Budget confirms a freeze in the financial support ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES OF AGEISM ON THE ELDERLY AND THE AMERICAN HEALTH CARE SYSTEM for some programmes offering protection against elder abuse and adult security service. There is also discrimination in the health care service for adults. About 35% of doctors inaccurately consider blood pressure increase in aging persons to be normal. Majority of the elderly population are provided with less preventive measures’ awareness. They receive fewer vaccines for flu and pneumonia and receive less protective measures against blood pressure and cholesterol. Although chemotherapy is helpful in elderly patients, it is underused for them. Clinical treatment checks for cancer are also excluding elderly patients (Butler, 2006) An unpublished study by the Sky news showed that ageing has become an obstacle in getting the old people access to life saving treatments. The OXVASC study group analyzed the health care treatments that were given to 600 heart patients over a time period of five years. The chances of treatments like clot- bursting drugs and angioplasty for reopening the arteries, for old people are very low as compared to younger ones. Even though old people mostly suffer from heart disease, clinical studies usually exclude old persons. Previous study by the team showed that elderly stroke patients are less likely to have a life-saving surgery. Sky news correspondent Moore claims that ageing is a kind of allotment used by doctors when resources are limited and the doctors seek to provide them only to those who will take the most advantage from them. 76 years old Jim Mathew was a patient of Parkinson’s disease and was suffering from an infection. He also suffered discrimination during his last days for being aged. His widow states “They just made this assumption that because he was 76 his life was not worth fighting for. These were the actual words the consultant used: his life is not worth fighting for.” ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES OF AGEISM ON THE ELDERLY AND THE AMERICAN HEALTH CARE SYSTEM According to Moore, a warning has been given by the Department of Health stating that modern NHS has no place for ageism. Minister at the Department of Health, Iwan Lewis MP denounces that decision made solely on the basis of age and not on the grounds of risk assessment are objectionable. Elders also face prejudice in employment. Employers refuse to hire old persons and they are forced to retire at a predetermined age no matter they have the ability to continue work. They have lower wages as compared to younger workers and this fact is neglected that the old workers have a propensity towards less absence, a reduced amount of yield, less alcoholism, and fewer mishaps (Palmore, 1999). I also personally know a person who migrated from a poor Asian country to America in search for a living. He wanted to raise money as he had pressing financial needs. Unfortunately, he was 54. He changed his out look too in order to look young and went for jobs at stores and hotels, etc. He was denied a job because he exceeded the age limit. When 50 aged persons searching for jobs were interviewed, they expressed their grief about their state of unemployment. A majority of them had minimal educational qualifications and labor work at declining age was extremely difficult for them. They were left without a labor work on the basis of age and most service agencies refused them. The 1967 Age Discrimination on Employment Act (ADEA) provides security to employees and job applicants from unfairness on the reason of age. The protection is provided from discrimination on the basis of employee’s age in concern with any phrase, clause or benefits of ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES OF AGEISM ON THE ELDERLY AND THE AMERICAN HEALTH CARE SYSTEM employment, counting appointment, dismissal, promotion, suspension, payment, benefits, profession coursework, and instruction. The ADEA protection applies to job notices and advertisements, apprenticeship programs and inquires made before employment (“Using EEOC website, 2008). It is a fact that improved living standards and better health care facilities have extended the life span of an average American. With an increase in aged population, there is the need to open more opportunities for them. Good atmosphere and health care can aid them in becoming useful citizens of the country. Prejudice merely on the basis of age is not a positive attitude. Aged persons should not be neglected as they are valuable citizens of America. As most of them are able to work, retirement age must be increased by the government. They must be employed in useful activities as they can still make a contribution for the American economy even if in small part. ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES OF AGEISM ON THE ELDERLY AND THE AMERICAN HEALTH CARE SYSTEM References: Butler, N. R. (2006). Ageism in America. Retrieved from: http://www.ilcusa.org. Palmore, E. B. (1999). Ageism: negative and positive. Retrieved from: http://books.google.com.pk. Robb, C., Chen, C., and Haley, W.E. (2002). Ageism in Mental Health and Health Care: A Critical Review. Journal of Clinical Geropsychology, 8(1), 1-12. Moore, T. (2008, September 07). Ageism 'Rife' In Health Service. The Sky News. Retrieved from http:// news.sky.com/home/health/article/15094575. Facts About age Discrimination. (2008). In the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Home page. Retrieved from http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/age.html Read More