Advanced Patient Assessment Practice Exam

Ageism in the health care setting can lead to what behavior from practitioners toward older patients?

1. Practitioners treating older patients with compassion

2. Practitioners spending more time with older patients

3. Better communication with elderly patients

4. Practitioners listening to older patients less carefully

The correct answer is: Practitioners treating older patients with compassion

The correct response reflects the unfortunate reality that ageism can influence how health care practitioners interact with older patients. Ageism is the discrimination based on a person's age, often resulting in negative stereotypes about older adults. Practitioners who harbor ageist beliefs may unconsciously view older patients as less capable, less deserving of care, or may generalize their needs based on age rather than individual circumstances. As a result, the outcome of such ageist attitudes often manifests in a lack of compassion in interactions with elderly patients. Rather than providing compassionate and individualized care, practitioners may dismiss concerns or minimize the experiences of older individuals, seeing them as less important. This can reduce the quality of care that older adults receive, and lead to feelings of alienation or dissatisfaction with their health care experiences. The other contexts, such as spending more time with older patients, demonstrating better communication, or listening more carefully, would generally imply a positive engagement that contradicts the premise of ageism. In a truly ageist environment, we would expect the opposite behaviors, further underscoring how detrimental ageism can be in health care settings.