Dr. Kiran Rabheru seeks to tackle ageism in care
10/09/2024
How can we address the pervasive impact of ageism in health care while ensuring that care is rooted in the right to healthy aging and aimed at maximizing quality of life across all settings?
Dr. Kiran Rabheru, a professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Ottawa and newly appointed Senior Investigator at the Bruyère Research Institute, is actively exploring this critical question.
His work focuses on addressing ageism in Canada by prioritizing the voices and experiences of older persons in all health care systems. Through his leadership, he is advancing medical education to better support and protect older persons across the spectrum of care, from home to hospital settings.
As a practicing physician, Dr. Rabheru frequently observes how older persons are marginalized. In his clinical experience, he notes how they are often sidelined, even during their own medical appointments, with family members speaking on their behalf and excluding them from the conversation. For him, this is emblematic of the broader societal shift needed to ensure older persons have a voice in their care at every stage.
“When we adopt a human rights-based approach to health care, we prioritize dignity, respect, autonomy, and agency for older persons,” Dr. Rabheru explains. “This must be embedded in the education of all health care providers if we are to see meaningful change in practice.”
In collaboration with the Equity in Health Systems Lab (EqHS), housed at Bruyère Research Institute, he sees an opportunity to address ageism through education and intergenerational activities. He advocates for a holistic approach to care that considers medical, psychosocial, and cultural factors. Together with EqHS, he will be involved in initiatives such as mentorship programs, continuous education, and public awareness campaigns to foster a paradigm shift in care delivery.
Dr. Rabheru is also the co-founder and chair of the Canadian Coalition Against Ageism, a nationwide social change movement to eliminate ageism, and now co-chairs a new Lancet Commission on Long Term Care. He hopes evidence-based strategies will raise awareness of the health and economic impacts the marginalization of older adults causes and aims to sustain the momentum for change that became evident during the pandemic.
“Many of the goals and mandates to support aging persons are interconnected at local, national, and international levels,” says Dr. Rabheru. “We need a multidisciplinary approach to address the complex challenges of aging, and I look forward to the collaborations we have here in Ottawa and beyond that are dedicated to finding solutions for older adults.”