Physiotherapists' attitudes towards old and young patients in persistent vegetative state (PVS)

Scoping Review on Ageism against Younger Populations

Systematic efforts have been carried out to study ageism against older populations. Less is known about ageism against younger populations, including how it is defined, how it manifests, its effects, and how it can be addressed. A scoping review was conducted aimed at identifying available evidence on these topics. A comprehensive search strategy was used across thirteen databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, and CINAHL. Records were screened by two independent reviewers. Data extraction was done by one rater and independently reviewed by a second rater. Of the 9270 records identified, 263 were eligible for inclusion. Most of the evidence focused on the manifestation of ageism (86%), followed by a focus on the determinants of ageism (17%), available interventions to address ageism (9%), and the effects of ageism (5%). This study points to the inconsistent terminology used to describe ageism against younger populations and the relatively limited theoretical rationale that guides existing studies. It also highlights key research gaps and points to the strengths of existing research.

The Effect of Educational Interventions on Willingness to Work with Older Adults: A Comparison of Students of Social Work and Health Professions

The study examined the effect of an educational intervention on the willingness of Israeli social work students to work with older adults, comparing them to students of nursing, speech therapy, and physiotherapy. A sample of 187 first-year students were divided into two groups: a research group (n=83) exposed to an educational intervention on ageing, and a control group (n=104) that received no intervention of any kind. Following the intervention, ageism among social work students in the research group decreased and positive behavior toward older adults increased. No significant differences were found among students of the health professions following the intervention. In addition, ageism mediated between knowledge of ageing and willingness to work with older adults.Furthermore, the higher the students assessed the contribution of the intervention, the lower their level of ageism, the more positive their behavior toward older adults, and the more willing they were to consider a career in geriatrics. The results suggest that introducing into the curriculum a variety of learning methods aimed at increasing knowledge of ageing and familiarity with the world of older adults is likely to encourage more students of social work and other therapeutic professions to work with the older population.

A survey of physiotherapists' attitudes toward older people in Trinidad and Tobago

Background/Aims:

This study determined the attitude of physiotherapists from Trinidad and Tobago toward older adults and explored the relationships between these attitudes and selected demographic variables. This has become necessary as traditional reverence and respect for older adults is being eroded, and professionals' attitudes are influenced by personal experiences and social biases.

Methods:

Forty physiotherapists were recruited and 30 (75%) participated. Data were collected using the Kogan's Attitudes to Older People Scale (KOPS) and a data collection sheet. KOPS scores were divided into categories to reflect a range of attitude intensities from strongly negative to strongly positive. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data using SPSS software. The relationship between attitude and type of practice was analysed, but that between attitude and age, gender and academic qualification was not analysed owing to small subgroup numbers.

Results:

All participating physiotherapists treated older patients and reported that this exposure influenced their interactions with older patients. The mean KOPS score was 163.03 ±18.26 (median 162), reflecting a weak positive attitude. There was no statistically significant difference between the mean KOPS scores of private and public practitioners (t(28)–1.51, p = 0.14), but private practitioners had a marginally higher mean score.

Conclusions:

Physiotherapists in Trinidad and Tobago showed a weak positive attitude to older adults.