Nursing older people: why we must challenge the stereotypes

Misconceptions and stereotypes surround older people’s care, but their needs are complex and require a wealth of nursing skills and person-centred care

Too often choosing a career in older persons’ nursing is seen as a fallback position or a step on the road to retirement. But those of us working in the sector know that it is anything but. It is highly skilled and demands a breadth and depth of knowledge.

Misconceptions about nursing older people should be challenged

There are a wealth of skills and knowledge required to deliver person-centred care for older people across all clinical settings and all domains of their health and well-being. The needs of older people are complex, unpredictable and, more importantly, unique to each person.

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We need to dispute the myths and misconceptions about their needs and challenge assumptions that are based on stereotypes associated with age and diagnoses alone. As nursing student Sarah Rogerson identifies in her article, Nurse in charge for the day – what I learned as a student, in nursing homes ‘there are multiple comorbidities and complex needs to learn about’.

Systems and services are often reactive rather than proactive and set up to manage a single disease or problem, meaning labelling and diagnostic overshadowing are common. Not only can this prove costly for health and care systems, but it can also have a negative effect on outcomes and quality of life for older people and those who care for them.

Person-centred care and a holistic approach should be encouraged at all levels

We cannot expect everyone to know everything, but collectively we can try to influence opportunities to share and embed good practice while encouraging others to adopt a more holistic approach at an individual, organisational and system level. We can promote multidisciplinary working and thorough assessments.

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But perhaps one of the simplest things we can do is remind others what being person-centred is. According to NHS England person-centred care is ‘focusing care on the needs of individuals. Ensuring that people's preferences, needs and values guide clinical decisions, and providing care that is respectful of and responsive to them.’

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After all, the need to deliver more person-centred care is threaded through the NHS Long Term Plan, recognising ‘the importance of “what matters to someone” is not just “what’s the matter with someone”’.

Zena Aldridge, consultant editor of Nursing Older People