A Call to Action: Arming Nurses With Political Knowledge to Advocate for Older People

Introduction

For decades, healthcare systems have enacted cost containment, which has led to nurses working within increasingly thinly resourced healthcare services influenced by political ideologies and often just trying to get through their shift. They may not have enough energy, support or background knowledge about what is behind the challenges they face or how they could effectively advocate for older people.

Methods

In this discussion paper, we provide an overview of three underlying political ideologies; discuss how these ideologies influence health and social care among western countries, examine how workplaces influenced by political ideology (e.g., resource allocation) can perpetuate ageism in healthcare decisions; explore advocacy and activism in nursing and suggest opportunities for nurses to disrupt negative practices.

Results

We found common challenges among countries with the three ideologies—increasing older people, the need to spend money efficiently and older people's desire to age-in-place. Thus, there is critical importance of health and social community supports and informal caregivers. Although not perfect, a social democratic ideology appears to be more likely than the other ideologies to work towards valuing people of all ages, with greater potential for equitable access and to support people throughout their lifespan.

Conclusions

Nurses have an important role to play in suggesting improvements in health and social care. Nurses that work together through professional gerontological associations could be proactive in informing the public that their current political ideology could be perpetuating ageism in health and social care systems.

Implications for Practice

Nurses need to educate themselves about the political ideology in their country and critically examine how it influences the health and social care of older people. Also necessary that nurses take an advocacy/activist role for older people’s health and social care needs.