The Effect of the Home Care Nursing Education Program on Ageism and Attitude Towards the Older Adults in a Developing Country; One Group Pre-Posttest Design Effects of Education on Ageism and Attitude Towards Older Adults

Aim: The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of Home Care Nursing Education Program on ageism and attitudes towards the older adults. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted with 21 nurses participating in Home Care Nursing Education Program at a tertiary hospital. The Fraboni Scale of Ageism (FSA) and the Kogan's Attitudes toward Old People Scale (KAOPS) were applied before and after the education. Results: The mean age of the nurses was 33 (4.7) years (61.9% female). The mean total KAOPS of the nurses was 104.9 +/- 13.5 before the training. After the training, it decreased to 102.1 +/- 15.7. It was found that nurses' total score average of the FSA was 68.8 +/- 8.3 pre-test and decreased to 67.7 +/- 10 post-test. There is no statistically significant difference between their scores (p>0.05). Conclusion: In this study, it was determined that the Home Care Nursing Education program had a positive effect on nurses' discrimination and attitudes towards the elderly, although it was not statistically significant. This may indicate that earlier stages of nursing education, such as undergraduate courses, need to provide such courses and training. To promote positive attitudes towards older adults and prevent ageism, innovative and intentional teaching strategies need to be incorporated into all nursing courses.