Pekçetin S, Hasgül E, Yıldırım Düğeroğlu R, Arabacı Z. The effect of extended contact with community-dwelling older adults on the ageist and helping attitudes of home care students: A single-blind randomised controlled trial.
Int J Older People Nurs 2021;
16:e12382. [PMID:
34032387 DOI:
10.1111/opn.12382]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Ageist and helping attitudes among undergraduate homecare students are a concern for educators, healthcare professionals and home care workers due to their potential to increase the marginalisation of older people and negatively impact quality of care.
OBJECTIVES
The current study evaluated the effect of extended contact with community-dwelling older adults on the ageist and helping attitudes of home care students.
METHODS
Fifty-five students attending a public university in Turkey were randomly assigned to the intervention group (n = 27) or control group (n = 28). The intervention group received positive theoretical education and had extended contact with community-dwelling older adults, while the control group only received positive theoretical education. Before and after the intervention, the students' ageist attitudes were evaluated with Kogan's Attitudes towards Old People scale (KAOP) and helping attitudes were evaluated with the Helping Attitude Scale (HAS).
RESULTS
There were statistically significant differences between pre- and post-test mean KAOP total, positive ageism and negative ageism subscale scores in the intervention group (p < 0.05) and in KAOP negative ageism score in the control group (p < 0.05). HAS scores showed no significant post-intervention change in helping attitudes in either group.
CONCLUSION
Extended contact with community-dwelling older adults had a favourable influence on undergraduate health students' ageism attitudes. These results suggest that contact with older adults may be an effective strategy to reduce ageism but may not increase helping behaviours.
IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE
Positive contact experiences with community-dwelling older adults can be used to reduce ageism in home care students.
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