Attitudes of Elderly Care Students Towards Elderly Individuals

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to examine the attitudes of students studying elderly care towards old people. This descriptive study was conducted with 307 students studying in the elderly care program of two different state universities in the Eastern part of Turkey. Data were collected with the \"Kogan's Attitudes Toward Old People Scale (KAOPS )\" and \"Personal Information Form\". The data were analyzed using SPSS 25.0 statistical analysis software, and the analysis involved calculating numbers, percentages, means, as well as conducting t-tests and ANOVA tests. The lowest score that the participating elderly care students got from the scale was 53, the highest was 205, and the average score of the scale was 142,47±21,74. A statistically significant difference was determined between students' grades and their subsequent motivation to care for and attitudes towards the elderly (p<0.05). The study revealed that the attitudes of students studying elderly care toward elderly individuals were above the median level. Moreover, a significant difference was determined between the students' grades and their desire to care for the elderly in the future and their attitudes towards them.