Age discrimination and suicide ideation is a phenomenon that is associated with different age groups. However, as one grows older, the chances of being discriminated against in both internal and external environments are very high (Conwell, 2018). With the increasing population of older adults among the different community settings, discrimination and suicide ideation is among the leading public health concerns that need to be addressed effectively. One of the significant factors contributing to increased cases of age discrimination and suicide ideation among adults is the reduced cooperation between the internal and external parties concerned with providing care to this group of individuals (Conwell, 2018).’
When older adults are constantly discriminated against, their general well-being is negatively affected, predisposing them to suicidal thoughts. Additionally, suicidal thoughts are linked to increased physiological and psychological stress responses, leading to withdrawal, reduced urge to engage in cultural activities, and lack of motivation to visit healthcare professionals for assistance (Conwell, 2018). Despite age discrimination and suicide ideation being a common challenge affecting older adults, limited studies have been conducted to establish its prevalence and strategies of reducing this vice. Therefore, this change project proposal seeks to expound on factors influencing age discrimination and suicide ideation among older adults and offer suggestions and intervention measures that can be used to reduce the occurrence of this problem in all community settings.
Background
Discrimination against older adults in different community settings is a problem that continues to be tolerated in various countries across the world. With older adults feeling disrespected and less valued, most of them have sometimes contemplated committing suicide or have committed suicide (Ko et al., 2021). Older adults receive ageist attitudes at different levels, including in their families, communities, workplaces, and society at large. However, this vice has often been overlooked and accepted in some settings. On most occasions, as a person grows old, they tend to feel lonely and hence need love and support from their family members and community at large (Ko et al., 2021). However, when they do not receive the care they deserve, they may end up committing suicide. Different measures have been instituted to assist in addressing this challenge. However, various stakeholders, hospitals, churches, and society need to be educated on the significance of treating older adults equally like the general population.
Clinical Problem Statement
The effects of age discrimination and suicide ideation remain one of the essential public health concerns. With an increase in the population of older adults, incidences of discrimination and suicide ideation will also be on the rise. Although discrimination against older adults is a prevalent phenomenon, it is becoming difficult to establish the extent to which it is occurring. This is attributed to the fact that it can happen either consciously or unconsciously. As a result, most cases often go unnoticed or unreported, making it look like an acceptable vice in different societies.
According to a study conducted by Yale University, mental stability among older adults is an essential aspect since it contributes to positive health outcomes. However, when older adults are constantly discriminated against, they may experiences problems with their memories, balance, and how to interact with society. Additionally, the gender stereotypes against older people can result in them being accused of committing something they did not commit, leading to suicide ideation. According to the World Health Organization, addressing age discrimination and suicide ideation incidences among older adults will lay a foundation for effectively integrating into their societies.
Change Proposal Purpose
The primary aim of this change proposal is to explore the prevalence and factors contributing to age discrimination and suicide ideation among older adults in different community settings. By understanding how age, discrimination, and suicide ideation are related, interventions for reducing this vice at the different community levels will be established.
PICOT Question
Older adults are among the group that is vulnerable to experiencing discrimination from different members in our societies. According to the existing literature, age discrimination against older adults is a prevalent phenomenon across different cultures. For instance, a report released by the World Values Survey indicates that approximately 60 percent of older adults do not deserve the respect they deserve. Additionally, this study’s findings indicated that regions with a large number of older adults predicted negative attitudes towards them (Stoliker et al., 2021).
This study’s research question was therefore composed according to the PICOT question. The PICOT question states: In older adults (P), how effective is collaborative care (I) compared to non-collaborative care (C) in reducing age discrimination to control suicide ideation and co-occurring mental problems (O) throughout the late-life period (T). Addressing this question is crucial because it will provide a course of action for addressing this problem.
Literature Search Strategy Employed
The study’s literature review was to evaluate how studies conducted by previous scholars supported the research question. This study primarily relied on online libraries and databases to find the articles that met the study’s inclusion criteria. The reviewed literature comprised of peer-reviewed articles that had conducted both qualitative and quantitative studies. The keywords age discrimination, suicide ideation, and older adults were some of the search strategies that were employed. After a successful search, five articles met the inclusion criteria for being used in this change proposal since they had been recently published and used English to present their findings.
Evaluation of the literature
Different factors were taken into account when evaluating the literature. Some of the common factors include the publication date, research question, setting, and population taking part in the study. When analyzing the articles, Ko et al. (2021) mainly focused on addressing the factors that influenced suicidal ideation and attempts among older Korean adults, focusing on age discrimination and neglect. On the other hand, Kim &Lee (2020) mainly focused on addressing the prevalence of age discrimination and suicide ideation among older adults. The study question posed by Li et al. (2018) played an influential role in evaluating the association of self-reported discrimination and suicide ideation among older adults. According to the author, providing coordinated care among older adults would lay a foundation for preventing discrimination against this group.
The fourth study conducted by Stoliker et al. (2020) attempts to establish the relationship between age discrimination and suicidal thoughts among older prisoners. According to the study’s hypothesis, a direct relationship exists between age, suicidal thoughts, and discrimination against older adults (Stoliker et al., 2020). Lastly, Stole et al., (2016) problem statement was to address passive suicide ideation among European older adults. The literature evaluation was also aimed at measuring the effectiveness of the used methodology and recommended intervention measures.
Applicable Change/Nursing Theory Used
When instituting change, different members in an organization may be resistant to embrace the new system. As a result, the theory that can be applied in this project is the Rogers change theory. This theory is beneficial since it has the five stages that any institution may encounter while implementing change. The steps included increasing awareness, interest, evaluation, implementation, and adoption. Although change is inevitable, most people are often resistant to embrace it in the initial stages. As a result, by using this theory, the chances of the change succeeding are high.
Proposed Implementation Plan and outcome measures
Since age discrimination and suicide ideation is a problem affecting different societies, different resources will be used during the implementation process. Some of the resources that will be needed include human resources such as health educators, capital, time, and communication infrastructure. The proposed interventions will assist the relevant stakeholders with the strategies that can be used to meet the needs of older adults. The intervention plan will involve reinforcing a multidisciplinary association between health practitioners and hospital organizations. Reinforcing this strategy will help in crafting a suitable evaluation plan. Through collaborative care, the incidences of age discrimination and suicide ideation among older adults are expected to reduce.
Discussion of how EBP was used to create the intervention plan
Older adults have the same rights as the general population, and they need to live a normal life. However, constant discrimination may impair their general well-being, hence predisposing them to develop suicidal thoughts. When creating the evaluation plan, EBP was used to compare the findings from other studies and this proposal’s research question. By doing so, it was easier to understand which intervention would work best in different settings.
Evaluation Plan
Having a good evaluation plan forms the back born of this capstone change proposal. A good evaluation also lays a foundation for identifying whether the set goals were achieved and areas that need improvement (Allen, 2016). As a result, the evaluation plan will clarify the goals and set up a timeline through which all the activities should be executed and achieved.
Barriers to the Implementation Plan
Different barriers may affect the implementation of the change. Some of the factors may include resistance from the multidisciplinary personnel and misinformation from other members (Allen, 2016). This barrier can, however, be broken by raising awareness among members on the importance of change. Additionally, investing in communication infrastructure will help prevent misinformation among members.
Conclusion
Age discrimination and suicide ideation is a common problem affecting older adults. When this group is constantly discriminated against, they experience elevated psychological and physiological stress, leading to mental health issues. As a result, addressing this challenge will help in promoting the positive mental well-being of this vulnerable group. Apart from multidisciplinary collaboration, raising public awareness and inclusive planning and design will help address this problem.
References
Allen, B. (2016). Effective design, implementation, and management of change in healthcare. Nursing Standard, 31(3).
Conwell, Y. (2018). Discrimination and risk for suicide in later life. The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 26(1), 52-53. https://www.ajgponline.org/article/S1064-7481(17)30463-3/fulltext
Kim, G., & Lee, M. (2020). Age discrimination and suicidal ideation among Korean older adults. The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 28(7), 748-754, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jagp.2019.12.002
Ko, Y., Han, Y, S., & Jang, H. (2021). Factors influencing suicidal ideation and attempts among older Korean adults: Focusing on age discrimination and neglect. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(4), https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18041852
Li, L, W., Gee, C, G., & Dong, X. (2018). Association of self-reported discrimination and suicide ideation in older Chinese Americans. The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 26(1), 42-51, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jagp.2017.08.006
Stoliker, B, E., Verdun-Jones, S, N., & Vaughan, A, D. (2020). The relationship between age and suicidal thoughts and attempted suicide among prisoners. Health and Justice, 8(14), https://doi.org/10.1186/s40352-020-00117-3
Stolz, E., Fux, B, Mayeri, H., Rasky, E., & Freidi, W. (2016). Passive suicide ideation among older adults in Europe: A multilevel regression analysis of individual and societal determinants in 12 countries (SHARE). Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 71(5), 947-958, httphe effectiveness of the methodology used and the hhehhhs://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbw041
