Prejudices and elderly patients’ personality – the problem of quality of care and quality of life in geriatric medicine

BACKGROUND: The article discusses the position of elderly patients in the context of medical intervention. The phenomenon of a “greying” population has changed the attitude towards the elderly but common observations prove that the quality of geriatric care is still unsatisfactory. This is a comparative study of personality among people at different ages, designed to improve specialists’ understanding of ageing. The results are discussed in relation to the elderly patient-centered paradigm to counterbalance ageist practices. MATERIAL/METHODS: This study involved 164 persons in early and late adulthood. Among the old, there were the young old (ages 65–74) and the older old (ages 75+). All participants were asked to fill-out the NEO-FFI [11]. RESULTS: The results demonstrate age-related differences in personality. In late adulthood, in comparison to early adulthood, there is decreased openness to new experiences. Two traits – agreeableness and conscientiousness – increase significantly. Age did not differentiate significantly the level of neuroticism or extraversion. The results of cluster analyses show differences in taxonomies of personality traits at different periods of life. CONCLUSIONS: The results challenge the stereotypes that present older people as neurotic and aggressive. Age did not significantly influence the level of neuroticism or extraversion. In general, the obtained results prove that the ageist assumption that geriatric patients are troublesome is false. This article builds support for effective change in geriatric professional practices and improvement in elderly patients’ quality of life.