AN EXPLORATION IN EXPERIENCES OF AGEISM AMONG ELDERLY RESIDENTS IN RUMAH SERI KENANGAN KUCHING

• Main Author: DAYANG ROHAIZAH, ABANG RAMMAND
• Format: Final Year Project Report
• Language: English; English
• Published: Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, (UNIMAS) 2023
• Subjects: R Medicine (General); RT Nursing
• Online Access: http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/43342/1/Dayang%20Rohaizah%2024%20pgs.pdf; http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/43342/2/Dayang%20Rohaizah%20ft.pdf; http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/43342/

Ageism was coined by Robert Neil Butler in 1969, to describe a set of social relation that includes stereotyping, discrimination and prejudice towards an individual based on their age basis (Lev et al., 2018). Butler posits that the incidence of ageism is mostly encountered by younger and older age groups, either they are being perceived as too young as well as too old (Bratt et al., 2018). Regardless of one’s age, ageism was commonly experienced in the form of a lack of respect or incorrect assumptions. The incidence of ageism become more prominent since the society pointed the imminent threats of death, disability, impairment, and cognitive deterioration towards the elderly. However, it remains unclear as to what extent the elderly had experienced ageism towards their life stages, how they feel about it and what are the consequences they suffered. Therefore, this study adopts a descriptive interpretive qualitative approach to explore the older adults’ lived experiences of ageism. The participants were recruited amongst the elderly residents in Rumah Seri Kenangan Kuching, by using a purposive sampling method and were interviewed physically. Thematic analysis was employed to identify the relevant themes and sub-themes within the interview data. The findings had discussed the older adults’ self-perceptions of ageing, personal experiences of becoming older and the influences of age stereotypes. It is clear the elderly negatively influenced by age stereotypes, where it impacts their participation, health, and security. Despite the adversity experienced by the older adults, most of them implemented adaptive strategies in response to ageism. By amplifying the voices and experiences of the elderly population, this study intended to raise awareness of ageism, foster an age-friendly society, and promote healthy ageing.