‘Don’t treat us like fragile babies’: Can intergenerational mentorship programs reduce ageism in medicine?

Mary Cunningham — Thu, 29 Feb 2024 23:42:29 +0000

‘Don’t treat us like fragile babies’: Can intergenerational mentorship programs reduce ageism in medicine? Mary Cunningham Thu, 02/29/2024 - 18:42

In This Story

Dr. Cathy Tompkins

Emily Ihara, PhD, MSW, FGSA

Ageism is a problem in health care, and the World Health Organization Global Report on Ageism points to factors such as increased human life expectancy, declines in birthrates, and the lack of investment to address health inequities among older people as reasons for strategies to eliminate ageism.

Ageism can impact the quality of patient care and be a source of frustration for older patients. Senior Mentor Programs (SMP) are one way to address ageism and improve the quality of care delivered to older patients by better understanding their unique needs, perspectives, and societal contributions.

Intergenerational mentoring programs are beneficial to both young and older people, according to a new study led by Emily Ihara, chair of ��ӽ紫ý’s Department of Social Work, and Catherine Tompkins, the College of Public Health’s Associate Dean for Faculty and Staff Affairs, who are co-PIs of Mason’s Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program.

“The results show the importance of reciprocal relationships, where both young and older people benefit, in addressing ageism in health care,” said Ihara. “The program served to defy existing stereotypes especially for younger medical students who may not have had experience working with older adults. Building relationships with an older mentor helped them to gain a better understanding and much-needed perspective of older people, which will hopefully translate into better provision of care for this population.”

The team from ��ӽ紫ý and Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) analyzed the perspectives of older adults (mentors) who participated in a SMP involving first-year medical students. Three themes emerged from the mentors’ responses: generational guidance, volunteerism, and life satisfaction. The responses illustrated how intergenerational mentorship programs can help older adults maintain a desire to promote the well-being of younger generations (such as by volunteering) by providing an opportunity for older adults to form meaningful connections (life satisfaction) and positively influence members of the younger generation (generational guidance). Participants in the study spoke about wanting to help stop health-related discrimination toward older people.

“Do whatever it takes to get medical personnel to treat and understand older adults. We are not wrinkly old babies, which is how a lot of doctors treat us,” said one participant.

The SMP provided older adults the opportunity to have an open conversation with students in the medical field and address the stigma related to caring for older adults. For example, several mentors discussed being treated unfairly or being misunderstood when receiving medical services. The program allowed older adults to connect with students and to pass on advice or experiences that they believe are important to improve patient care. Student responses to the program were analyzed in a different academic paper.

“’Don’t treat us like fragile babies:’ Mentors’ perspectives of an intergenerational mentoring program for medical students” was published online in the Journal of Intergenerational Relationships in February 2024. Additional authors include Mason undergraduate student Vianey Velazquez-Dominguez; three Mason Master of Social Work alumni—Harveen Pantleay from Loudoun County Schools; Kendall Barrett from Wise Mind Psychotherapy; and Madeline Holden from Wesley Housing Development Corporation; and Kimberly Ivey, Leland Waters, and Sarah A. Marrs from VCU.

This work was supported by the Bureau of Health Professions, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [grant number U1QHP28744], Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program.

Thumbnail photo by Andrea Piacquadio via Pexels.

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Older Adults

Intergenerational Education

Family members paved the way for this Mason student

Shayla Brown — Wed, 09 Aug 2023 21:47:43 +0000

Family members paved the way for this Mason student Shayla Brown Wed, 08/09/2023 - 17:47

Alaina Ruffin will not be the first, second, or third, but fourth person in her family to graduate from ��ӽ紫ý.

“My mom and two older cousins, who are also Black women, came to Mason before me,” said Alaina Ruffin, who will graduate in August with her BA in English with a concentration in writing and rhetoric.

Recent graduate Alaina Ruffin (right) and her family of Mason alumnae. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding.

During her time as a student at Mason, Ruffin joined Mason’s NAACP chapter and acted as an officer of the chapter for three years. She was also an officer for the Black, African Heritage, and Caribbean Coalition and worked at the Center for Culture, Equity, and Empowerment.

“I’m actually really introverted. I wasn’t as involved in things in high school, so I really surprised myself with the extent to which I did things at Mason,” she said. “I put myself out there more than I previously would have, and I think that helped me become someone whom a much shyer teenage Alaina would be very proud of.”

Her mother, Dawn Woods-Ruffin, graduated from Mason in 2000, also with a BA in English with a concentration in writing and rhetoric, previously called technical writing and editing.

“I [originally] went to VCU, but it wasn’t long after that I realized I was unhappy with that choice,” said Woods-Ruffin.

In her third year, Woods-Ruffin transferred to Mason and joined the ranks of Mason’s commuter students, but still couldn’t decide on a major. She withdrew and decided to work in customer service full time. Her job evolved to writing training manuals, and she eventually found her path as a technical writer before re-enrolling at Mason.

^{“Sometimes a student may not have a direct path from high school to a chosen career. It wasn’t easy working full time and attending college, but like many Mason students, I proved it can be done,” said Woods-Ruffin. “I remember seeing Mason grow in not just the size of the campus but with its prominence as a premier school in Virginia.”}

“Mason welcomes people from all walks of life and oftentimes a [potential student] sees the great experience another family member had and decides that Mason is the place for them,” said Jennifer Robinson, JM ’02, associate vice president of alumni relations and executive director of the ��ӽ紫ý Alumni Association.

Ruffin’s older cousins, Rachael Woods-Cheytanov and Nicole Woods-Adkins, graduated in 2013 and 2001 respectively. Woods-Cheytanov earned a BS in health administration while Woods-Adkins earned a BS in management information systems.

During her time at Mason, Woods-Adkins was a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and, like her younger cousin, was a member of Mason’s NAACP chapter.

“I surprised myself with how independent I became,” said Woods-Adkins. “I really enjoyed being close to D.C. where I could experience the area's historical landmarks, cuisines and night life. I was three hours away from home, but I was able to establish a community of lifelong friendships with people who also graduated from Mason.”

Woods-Adkins’ degree has allowed her to pursue career opportunities in IT and accounting. She currently works for the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, a nonprofit organization that focuses on investor protection. “Mason provided me with resources, internship opportunities and professors that shared their various experiences, which helped shape my career choices.”

Woods-Cheytanov knew that she wanted to work in the medical field but wasn’t sure exactly what career she wanted to work toward.

“During my time at Mason, I was able to take classes on everything from lab work to medical law. Those classes all shaped my interest in health systems and how they connect,” said Woods-Cheytanov. “I'm so grateful that I was able to really find my career path surrounded by professors who were such experts in the subjects they taught.”

Coming to Mason from Colorado, Woods-Cheytanov knew that attending Mason was going to be a big personal shift, but also knew she wanted to see more of the world.

“I'm most surprised at how easy it was to meet a more diverse group of people—in both the way we look and the way we think—that I honestly don't think I would have gotten anywhere else,” she said.

“[Mason also] brings so many international students that I don't think I would have had the chance to learn about different cultures and traditions anywhere else,” Woods-Cheytanov added.

Ruffin is interning at the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights this summer and hopes to attend graduate and law school.

“I’m proud of working to make our campus community a place where all students can be heard and valued, because students are what gives universities meaning,” said Ruffin.

Topics

Alumni

Intergenerational Education

English Department

Alumni Association

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Students

Intergenerational Education

‘Don’t treat us like fragile babies’: Can intergenerational mentorship programs reduce ageism in medicine?

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