Conquer the 2026 Healthcare Challenge: Autonomy, Ethics & System Levels Extravaganza!

Discrimination based on age, particularly against older adults, is described by the term ageism. Ageism encompasses the beliefs, attitudes, and biases that people hold about aging and older individuals, as well as the practices that result from those views. It captures both the prejudicial thinking and the unfair treatment that can follow in real-life situations, including in healthcare settings where assumptions about an older person’s worth, capacity, or value influence decisions.

Age discrimination refers to specific actions that treat someone unfavorably because of age, while age bias is the prejudicial attitude behind those actions. Discrimination, in general, is about unfair treatment based on any protected characteristic, but it’s less precise about the particular social pattern tied to aging. Ageism is the most comprehensive term here because it names the social and systemic pattern of discrimination rooted in aging, not just a single act or a negative belief.