ABSTRACT

In this descriptive study, it has been aimed to determine the attitudes of students, who studied in a military education and research hospital, concerning the discrimination against the elderly.The sample of this study was 227 students who agreed to participate the study. Personal info sheet and elder discrimination attitude scale were used for the collection of data. The mean scale score of the students was 50.00 ± 5.95 and the students had negative attitudes in respect of elder discrimination. Their attitudes on elder discrimination changed according to their school and gender (respectively p=0.015; p=0.004). Moreover, the students did not want to work in the department of geriatrics and the students who did not work with the elder people had more negative attitudes against the elders. The results of this study showed that the students of our country, which had an aging population, have a negative attitude on the elder people and they do not want to work with them. These results suggest that the geriatrics should be made attractive for the students in our country.