Geriatric Nursing Commons^™

Reducing Ageism: Changes In Students’ Attitudes After Participation In An Intergenerational Reverse Mentoring Program, S. N. Leedahl, M. S. Brasher, Dara Lobuono, B. M. Wood, E. L. Estus

Rita & Larry Salva School of Nursing and Health Professions Faculty Scholarship

Ageism is a societal concern that greatly affects the social, emotional, physical, and mental health of older adults. One way to decrease ageist attitudes and improve the treatment of older adults is to address and improve age stereotypes among young adults. Using data from students participating in an intergenerational digital-learning program, the present study investigated change in students’ stereotypes of older adults and aging. We examined change from pre- and post-scores in student attitudes toward older adults and the type of adjectives used to describe older adults. We also analyzed responses to open-ended questions about changes in perception of older …