Aging Matters: Gerontology Discussion on Elderly Care in Canada

This discussion post examines the issue of ageism and its impact on senior care in Canada, drawing from articles in The Globe and Mail, Vancouver Sun, and National Post. The author agrees that older people are often denied decision-making power due to assumptions about diminished reasoning ability. The language used by caregivers significantly affects the outcomes of care, and hurtful language can make older adults feel like a burden. The author emphasizes the importance of respecting the rights of older adults and using respectful language, citing examples of age discrimination in employment and the need to avoid demeaning terms. The reflection highlights the gained insights, including the need to advocate for the rights of the elderly and use considerate language in professional settings. The author concludes by emphasizing the importance of language in shaping perceptions and actions in elderly care.

Running head: AGING MATTERS 1
Aging Matters
Student’s Name
Date of Submission

AGING MATTERS 2
Introduction
1. In the article by the Globe and Mail Canadian newspaper, it is explained on how
serious Canada considers the human rights of its citizens (Hazel., 2016). However, the older
citizens are sometimes ignored by the young people such that they are not at liberty to make
personal decisions. In most instances, many people give help to the aged population even when
it’s not needed. The paper notes that such practices may make the ageing population feel less
important in the society. Moreover, the more this population becomes reliant for any assistance,
the more they become reliant and hence a burden to their families. They should therefore be left
to manage their property and make personal decisions until they ask for assistance.
In the second article published in the Vancouver Sun, a Canadian newspaper, the need to
be selective on the words and language used on the old people during their care matters a lot.
There are however many organizations in Canada such as B.C the Care providers have been on
an endless mission to ensure that the seniors receive the best care (Rebecca, 2017). As such the
language to ageing people should be used selectively by the care givers to ensure that it does not
demean them. Since ageism is commonly termed as a form of discrimination, then social care
workers are urged to ensure that they make professional language and words to be used while
providing care to the aged people.
2. I concur with the fact that aged people are not given a priority to make their decisions
in the society. This is because it is assumed that as people age, so does their reasoning ability
diminish, which is not always true (Han, 2015). It’s true that the outcomes of care in ageism is
affected by the language which is used by caregivers. The use of poor and hurting language
when addressing ageism may send a feeling to this population that they are a burden to the

AGING MATTERS 3
society (Holroyd-Leduc et al., 2016) It is however important to note that while the aged people
seek continuous care and help, majority of them are only physically incapacitated but mentally
sober.
3. From these articles, I have gained a lot of information which will be applicable in my
professional life. It is not kind enough to assume that the old people are a burden to the society
but rather their rights must be granted. For instance, in the article written by Jeff, (2014) in the
Globe and Mail newspaper, the employers would force into retirements aged employees whose
productivity was slowing down. However, the Canadian courts have warned against this action
because the old people need to request for a retire by themselves and not be forced to do that.
Additionally, I have learned the need to be selective of the standard language to be used, and use
words which do not hurt the aged clients. For instance, instead of using the usual term ‘diaper’ I
can refer to them as ‘incontinence pads’. According to Wanda (2017) in the National Post
newspaper, the words used against the old Canadians especially in residential places matters a lot
since they are indicative of our views and thus the actions taken during care.

AGING MATTERS 4
References
Han, S. (2015). A Study of Social Workers' Understanding of Elderly Patients' and Family
Caregivers' Rights to End-of-Life Care Decisions and of Their Own Roles in the Process.
Korean Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care, 18(1), 42-50.
Hazel., M., (2016). Ageism is getting old, lets end it. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved from
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/ageism-is-getting-old-lets-end-it/
article30275231/
Holroyd-Leduc, J., Resin, J., Ashley, L., Barwich, D., Elliott, J., Huras, P., ... & Pullman, D.
(2016). Giving voice to older adults living with frailty and their family caregivers:
engagement of older adults living with frailty in research, health care decision making,
and in health policy. Research involvement and engagement, 2(1), 23.
Jeff., G. (2014). The rise of the older worker-and age-discrimination lawsuits. The Globe and
Mail. Retrieved from https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-
news/the-law-page/the-rise-of-the-older-worker-and-one-type-of-lawsuit/
article16316868/
Rebecca., M, (2017). Opinion: When it comes to senior’s care, words matter. Vancouver Sun.
Retrieved from http://vancouversun.com/opinion/op-ed/opinion-when-it-comes-to-
seniors-care-words-matter
Wanda., M, (2017). Grey matters: For older Canadians, words matter. National Past. Retrieved
from http://nationalpost.com/health/seniors/grey-matters-for-older-canadians-words-
matter