Doctor of Social Work Capstone Reports

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Browsing Doctor of Social Work Capstone Reports by Subject "Ageism in healthcare"

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    Combatting Ageism: Evaluating the Impact of an Age-Positive Training in Healthcare
    (2025) Lester, Barbara; Ruggiano, Nicole; Andersen, Troy
    Introduction/Background: Ageism, defined as stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination based on age, is a pervasive issue with detrimental effects on the wellbeing of older adults. Ageist attitudes among healthcare workers can lead to both over- and under-treatment of older adults. This project assessed whether an evidence-informed training program about aging and ageism could improve attitudes towards older adults among healthcare employees. Methods: A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design was utilized to evaluate the impact of a one-hour workshop adapted from the “Ending Ageism Together” training developed by Changing the Narrative. A total of 167 employees from a large healthcare system in the intermountain west participated in the training. Among them, 126 participants completing the pretest, 107 completing the first posttest, and 64 completing the second posttest 30 days later. The Expectations Regarding Aging (ERA-12) scale and two knowledge-based questions were used to assess changes in ageist beliefs and knowledge. Results: Significant improvements were found with the total score on the ERA-12 and on the three ERA-12 scales (physical health, mental health, and cognitive function), with sustained improvements 30 days after the training. Participants also reported improved knowledge about aging, with many identifying changes in their attitudes and behaviors regarding ageism. Qualitative feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with participants acknowledging increased awareness of their own biases and commitments to reducing ageist behaviors. Discussion: The findings suggest that targeted educational interventions can significantly reduce ageism among healthcare employees, contributing to better care for older adults. This training model provides a promising framework for addressing ageism in healthcare, although future research with more diverse samples and control groups is needed to strengthen the evidence. Policymakers and healthcare organizations should consider mandating similar ageism reduction training to foster an age-inclusive workplace and enhance patient outcomes. Limitations include the lack of a control group and the overrepresentation of older and female participants, which may limit generalizability.