Older women and health services: moving from ageism toward empowerment.
Ageism and sexism in health services and research affect the quality of care, patient-provider interaction, patient self-perceptions, and the planning of health education programs for older women. Stereotyping of older women in the health care encounter, although often subtle, can have far-reaching effects on the health status of older women. Prevailing research methodologies are focused on disease processes and neglect older women's subjective experience of illness. Changes at the organizational, community, and individual levels that promote the autonomy and empowerment of older women are discussed.
Sharpe
P A
PA
Department of Health Promotion and Education, School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia 29208, USA.
D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010344:Patient Advocacy; D010358:Patient Participation; D011287:Prejudice; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012649:Self Concept; D014481:United States; D016387:Women's Health; D014932:Women's Health Services / Q000592:standards*