Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-mkpzs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T18:56:39.911Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Age differences in attitudes about older adults with dementia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 August 2019

Christie Newton ,
Thomas Hadjistavropoulos Open the ORCID record for Thomas Hadjistavropoulos [Opens in a new window] ,
Natasha L. Gallant  and
Ying C. MacNab
Christie Newton
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Regina, Regina, Canada
Thomas Hadjistavropoulos*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology and Centre on Aging and Health, University of Regina, Regina, Canada
Natasha L. Gallant
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology and Centre on Aging and Health, University of Regina, Regina, Canada
Ying C. MacNab
Affiliation:
School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
*
*Corresponding author. Email: Thomas.Hadjistavropoulos@uregina.ca
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Dementia, a term that describes a variety of brain conditions marked by gradual, persistent and progressive cognitive decline, affects a significant proportion of older adults. Older adults with dementia are sometimes perceived less favourably than those without dementia. Furthermore, compared to persons without dementia, those with dementia are often perceived by others as having reduced personhood. This study was aimed at investigating whether differences in attitudes towards dementia and personhood perceptions vary as a function of age group, care-giver status, attitudes towards ageing, dementia knowledge, gender and education. In total 196 younger, middle-aged and older adults were recruited. Findings revealed that being a care-giver as well as having less ageist attitudes were predictive of being more comfortable around persons with dementia, having more knowledge about dementia and ascribing greater personhood to people with dementia. Those with more dementia knowledge (prior to the study) were less comfortable around people with dementia. Finally, when controlling this prior dementia knowledge, older adults were more comfortable around people with dementia compared to younger and middle-aged adults. Gender and education were not associated with any of the variables under study. Findings contribute to a better understanding of the role of age- and care-giver-related factors in the determination of attitudes towards dementia.

Keywords

ageingdementiaattitudespersonhoodcare-givers
Type
Article
Information
Ageing & Society , Volume 41 , Issue 1 , January 2021 , pp. 121 - 136
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2019

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Allan, LJ and Johnson, JA (2008) Undergraduate attitudes toward the elderly: the role of knowledge, contact and aging anxiety. Educational Gerontology 35, 1–14.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ammaturo, D, Hadjistavropoulos, T and Williams, J (2017) Pain in dementia: use of observational pain assessment tools by people who are not health professionals. Pain Medicine 18, 1895–1907.Google Scholar
Annear, MJ, Toye, C, McInerney, F, Eccleston, C, Tranter, B, Elliott, K-E and Robinson, A (2015) What should we know about dementia in the 21st century? A Delphi consensus study. BMC Geriatrics 15, 5.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cahill, S, Pierce, M, Werner, P, Darley, A and Bobersky, A (2015) A systematic review of the public's knowledge and understanding of Alzheimer's disease and dementia. Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders 29, 255–275.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Calasanti, T (2005) Ageism, gravity, and gender: experiences of aging bodies. Generations 29, 8–12.Google Scholar
Cary, LA, Chasteen, AL and Remedios, L (2017) The ambivalent ageism scale: developing and validating a scale to measure benevolent and hostile ageism. Gerontologist 57, 27–36.Google ScholarPubMed
Cations, M, Radisic, G, Crotty, M and Laver, KE (2018) What does the general public understand about prevention and treatment of dementia? A systematic review of population-based surveys. PLOS ONE 13, e0196085.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cheston, R, Hancock, J and White, P (2016) A cross-sectional investigation of public attitudes toward dementia in Bristol and South Gloucestershire using the approaches to dementia questionnaire. International Psychogeriatrics 28, 1717–1724.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cheston, R, Hancock, J and White, P (2018) Does personal experience of dementia change attitudes? The Bristol and South Gloucestershire survey of dementia attitudes. Dementia. doi:10.1177/1471301217752707.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cloutier, DS, Penning, MJ, Nuernberger, K, Taylor, D and MacDonald, S (2017) Long-term care service trajectories and their predictors for persons living with dementia: results from a Canadian study. Journal of Aging and Health 31, 139–164.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Corner, L and Bond, J (2004) Being at risk of dementia: fears and anxieties of older adults. Journal of Aging Studies 18, 143–155.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Duong, S, Patel, T and Chang, F (2017) Dementia: what pharmacists need to know. Canadian Pharmacists Journal 150, 118–129.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fraboni, M, Saltstone, R and Hughes, S (1990) The Fraboni Scale of Ageism (FSA): an attempt at a more precise measure of ageism. Canadian Journal on Aging 9, 56–66.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Glynn, RW, Shelley, E and Lawlor, BA (2017) Public knowledge and understanding of dementia – evidence from a national survey in Ireland. Age and Ageing 46, 865–869.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Graham, C, Ballard, C and Sham, P (1997) Carers’ knowledge of dementia and their expressed concerns. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 12, 470–473.3.0.CO;2-N>CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Greenberg, J, Pyszczynski, T and Solomon, S (1986) The cause and consequence of the need for self-esteem: a terror management theory. In Baumeister, RF (ed.), Public and Private Self. New York, NY: Springer, pp. 189–212.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harwood, J (2007) Understanding Communication and Aging: Developing Knowledge and Awareness. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.Google Scholar
Heese, K (2015) Ageing, dementia and society – an epistemological perspective. SpringerPlus 4, 135.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hunter, PV, Hadjistavropoulos, T, Smythe, WE, Malloy, DC, Kaasalainen, S and Williams, J (2013) The Personhood in Dementia Questionnaire (PDQ): establishing an association between beliefs about personhood and health providers’ approaches to person-centered care. Journal of Aging Studies 27, 276–287.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hunter, PV, Hadjistavropoulos, T, Thorpe, L, Malloy, DC and Lix, LM (2016) The influence of individual and organizational factors on person-centered dementia care. Aging and Mental Health 20, 700–708.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jackson, EM, Cherry, KE, Smitherman, EA and Hawley, KS (2008) Knowledge of memory aging and Alzheimer's disease in college students and mental health professionals. Aging and Mental Health 12, 258–266.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jolley, DJ and Benbow, SM (2000) Stigma and Alzheimer's disease: causes, consequences and a constructive approach. International Journal of Clinical Practice 54, 117–119.Google Scholar
Kite, ME, Stockdale, GD, Whitley, BE and Johnson, BT (2005) Attitudes toward younger and older adults: an updated meta-analytic review. Journal of Social Issues 61, 241–266.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kitwood, T (1997) Dementia Reconsidered: The Person Comes First. Philadelphia, PA: Open University Press.Google Scholar
Kogan, N (1961) Attitudes toward old people: the development of a scale and an examination of correlates. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology 62, 44–54.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lee, YH (2012) Attitude and Preventive Behaviors Regarding Dementia in the Community Pre-elderly. Master's thesis, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju, South Korea.Google Scholar
Li, X, Fang, W, Su, N, Liu, Y, Xiao, S and Xiao, Z (2011) Survey in Shanghai communities, the public awareness of and attitude toward dementia. Psychogeriatrics 11, 83–89.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Low, LF and Anstey, KJ (2009) Dementia literacy: recognition and beliefs on dementia of the Australian public. Alzheimer's and Dementia 5, 280–281.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Malloy, DC and Hadjistavropoulos, T (2004) The problem of pain management among persons with dementia, personhood, and the ontology of relationships. Nursing Philosophy 5, 147–159.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McParland, P, Devine, P, Innes, A and Gayle, V (2012) Dementia knowledge and attitudes of the general public in Northern Ireland: an analysis of national survey data. International Psychogeriatrics 24, 1600–1613.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Miron, AM, McFadden, SH, Hermus, NJ, Buelow, J, Nazario, AS and Seelman, K (2017) Contact and perspective taking improve humanness standards and perceptions of humanness of older adults and people with dementia: a cross-sectional survey study. International Psychogeriatrics 29, 1701–1711.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Moyle, W, Murfield, JE, Griffiths, SG and Venturato, L (2011) Care staff attitudes and experiences of working with older people with dementia. Australasian Journal of Ageing 30, 186–190.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
O'Connor, ML and McFadden, SH (2010) Development and psychometric validation of the dementia attitudes scale. International Journal of Alzheimer's Disease 2010, 1–10.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
O'Connor, ML and McFadden, SH (2012) A terror management perspective on young adults’ ageism and attitudes toward dementia. Educational Gerontology 38, 627–643.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Prince, M, Ali, G-C, Guerchet, M, Prina, AM, Albanese, E and Yu, Y-T (2016) Recent global trends in the prevalence and incidence of dementia, and survival with dementia. Alzheimer's Research and Therapy 8, 23.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Prince, M, Bryce, R, Albanese, E, Wimo, A, Ribeiro, W and Ferri, CP (2013) The global prevalence of dementia: a systematic review and metaanalysis. Alzheimer's and Dementia 9, 63–75.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sahin, HA, Gurvit, IH, Emre, M, Hanagasi, HA, Bilgic, B and Harmanci, H (2006) The attitude of elderly lay people towards the symptoms of dementia. International Psychogeriatrics 18, 251–258.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schuldberg, J (2005) It is easy to make judgments if it's not familiar: the use of simulation kits to develop self-awareness and reduce ageism. Journal of Social Work Education 41, 441–455.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Song, YH (2002) Study on the Understanding and Attitude of Dementia. Ph.D. Thesis, Dongduk Women's University, Seoul.Google Scholar
Tabachnick, BG and Fidell, LS (2013) Using Multivariate Statistics, 6th Edn. London: Pearson.Google Scholar
Tajfel, H and Turner, JC (1979) An integrative theory of intergroup conflict. In Austin, WC and Worchel, S (eds), The Social Psychology of Intergroup Relations. Monterey, CA: Brooks Cole, pp. 33–53.Google Scholar
Tomfohrde, OJ and Reinke, JS (2016) Breastfeeding mothers’ use of technology while breastfeeding. Computers in Human Behavior 64, 556–561.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Torres, L, Yadav, OP and Khan, E (2017) Perceived risks of produced water management and naturally occurring radioactive material content in North Dakota. Journal of Environment Management 196, 56–62.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Williams, J, Hadjistavropoulos, T, Ghandehari, OO, Malloy, DC, Hunter, PV and Martin, RR (2015) Resilience and organisational empowerment among long-term care nurses: effects on patient care and absenteeism. Journal of Nursing Management 24, 300–308.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wimo, A, Guerchet, M, Ali, G-C, Yu, T-Z, Prina, M, Winblad, B, Jönsson, L, Liu, Z and Prince, M (2017) The worldwide costs of dementia 2015 and comparisons with 2010. Alzheimer's and Dementia 13, 1–7.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wimo, A, von Strauss, E, Nordberg, G, Sassi, F and Johansson, L (2002) Time spent on informal and formal care giving for persons with dementia in Sweden. Health Policy 61, 255–268.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wimo, A, Winblad, B and Jönsson, L (2010) The worldwide societal costs of dementia: estimates for 2009. Alzheimer's and Dementia 6, 98–103.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wong, SL, Gilmour, H and Ramage-Morin, PL (2016) Alzheimer's disease and other dementias in Canada. Health Reports 27, 11–16.Google ScholarPubMed
World Health Organization (2017) Dementia. Available at http://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/dementia.Google Scholar
Wu, Y-T, Beiser, AS, Breteler, MMB, Fratiglioni, L, Helmer, C, Hendrie, HC, Honda, H, Ikram, MA, Langa, KM, Lobo, A, Matthews, FE, Ohara, T, Pérès, K, Qiu, C, Seshadri, S, Sjölund, B-M, Skoog, I and Brayne, C (2017) The changing prevalence and incidence of dementia over time – current evidence. Nature Reviews Neurology 13, 327–339.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zhang, H, Loi, SM, Zhou, S, Zhao, M, Lv, X, Wang, J, Wang, X, Lautenschlager, N, Yu, X and Wang, H (2017) Dementia literacy among community-dwelling older adults in urban China: a cross-sectional study. Frontiers in Public Health 5, 124. doi:10.3389/fpubh.2017.00124.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed