Age Matters: A Study on Perceived Discrimination Among Older Adults in Healthcare in Lithuania

Objective: The aim of this study was to analyse the opinions and experiences of older adults regarding age-based discrimination in healthcare. Method: The study is based on the analysis of data from 492 older adult respondents aged 60-84, with the mean age of 71.6 ± 6.6 years, who completed and returned anonymous questionnaires sent to their homes. Results: Most of the respondents (74.8%) believed that the state does not consistently improve the protection of older persons' rights. Nearly half (42.5%) reported that healthcare services are not provided equally to younger and older people. A significant proportion of respondents (41.1%) reported experiencing age-based discrimination themselves, having responded affirmatively to at least three out of nine statements indicating discriminatory experiences. Poor health status and financial hardships emerged as the primary factors associated with multidimensional discrimination experienced by older adults. More than half (64.0%) of respondents believed that discriminatory attitudes towards older people are rooted in healthcare professionals' internal cultural norms. Conclusions: The findings of the study indicate the need to change the attitudes of healthcare professionals towards older adults. There is an urgent need for the targeted professional education on this issue.