Social and Economic Effects of the Medicalization of Old Age and Aging
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18778/0208-6018.334.02Keywords:
old age, aging, medicalization, costs, social and economic effectsAbstract
Processes of medicalization touch every area of life, not surprisingly taking into their interest last stages of human life – ageing and dying. Changes in the demographic situation in the developed countries caused rapid growth of the population aged 65+. It generates new challenges in various areas including medical, economic, educating and services. “Silver population” becomes visible, but it is excluded from some parts of life. Visibility of old age may be one of the causes of so‑called “gerontophobia”. Ineffectiveness of some institutions dedicated to seniors give place for medicine to take control over ageing processes. The medicalization of old age effects with variety of consequences which will be described in the scope of this article. The first and the second section describe the idea of the medicalization of old age and aging, showing main dimensions and aspects. In the third one, one can find main examples of this process relating to old people. The next section depicts selected examples of health expenditures in Poland and other countries. In the fifth part one finds medical, economic and social consequences of the medicalization of old age. Perceiving old age as a pathology causes raising exclusion of the elderly people; they are labelled and treated stereotypically. In the economic dimension old age seen as a disease creates new costs. Old persons perceived through the lens of their diseases become an easy target for the pharma industry, which generates new consequences. Awareness of those multidimensional relations is needed to effective planning and application of the best suited solutions for seniors.
Downloads
References
Abraham J. (2010), Pharmaceuticalization of society in context: theoretical, empirical, and health dimensions, „Sociology”, vol. 44, no. 4, s. 603–622, doi: 10.1177/0038038510369368.
Google Scholar
Beard R.L., Estes C.L. (2002), Medicalization of Aging, „Encyclopedia of Aging”, MacMillan Press, http://medicine.jrank.org/pages/1106/Medicalization‑Aging.html [dostęp: 31.08.2016].
Google Scholar
Bielawska‑Batorowicz E. (2005a), Koncepcje menopauzy. Część I – ujęcie demograficzne i kulturowe, „Przegląd Menopauzalny”, nr 2, s. 10–18.
Google Scholar
Bielawska‑Batorowicz E. (2005b), Koncepcje menopauzy. Część III – ujęcie psychopatologiczne, „Przegląd Menopauzalny”, nr 5, s. 24–31.
Google Scholar
Cieślińska I. (2013), Czy starość jest chorobą? – rozmowa z geriatrą, „Wysokie Obcasy”, wydanie elektroniczne, 13.02.2013, http://www.wysokieobcasy.pl/wysokie‑obcasy/1,96856,13321888,Czy_starosc_jest_choroba____rozmowa_z_geriatra.html [dostęp: 27.08.2016].
Google Scholar
Codzienność polskiego seniora: wielolekowość (2016), „Gazeta Prawna/rynekaptek.pl”, wydanie elektroniczne, 14 marca, http://www.rynekaptek.pl/farmakologia/codziennosc‑polskiego‑seniora‑wielolekowosc,12894.html [dostęp: 28.08.2016].
Google Scholar
Conrad P. (1992), Medicalization and Social Control, „Annual Review of Sociology”, vol. 18, s. 209–232, doi: 10.1146/annurev.so.18.080192.001233.
Google Scholar
Conrad P. (2007), The Medicalization of Society. On the Transformation of Human Conditions into Treatable Disorders, The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore.
Google Scholar
Conrad P., Leiter V. (2004), Medicalization, Markets and Consumers, „Journal of Health and Social Behavior”, vol. 45, suppl., s. 158–176.
Google Scholar
Conrad P., Mackie T., Mehrotra A. (2010), Estimating the Costs of Medicalization, „Social Science and Medicine”, vol. 70, no. 12, s. 1943–1947, doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2010.02.019.
Google Scholar
Conrad P., Schneider J.W. (1992), Deviance and Medicalization. From Badness to Sickness, Temple University Press, Philadelphia.
Google Scholar
Estes C.L., Binney E.A. (1989), The Biomedicalization of Aging: Dangers and Dilemmas, „The Gerontologist”, vol. 29, issue 5, s. 587–596, doi: 10.1093/geront/29.5.587.
Google Scholar
Halfmann D. (2011), Recognizing Medicalization and Demedicalization: Discourses, Practices and Identities, „Health”, vol. 16(2), s. 186–207, doi: 10.1177/1363459311403947.
Google Scholar
Kaufman S.R., Shim J.K., Russ A.J. (2004), Revisiting the Biomedicalization of Aging: Clinical Trends and Ethical Challenges, „Gerontologist”, vol. 44(6), s. 731–738.
Google Scholar
Kijak R.J., Szarota Z. (2013), Starość. Między diagnozą a działaniem, Centrum Rozwoju Zasobów Ludzkich, Warszawa.
Google Scholar
Klinger K. (2015), Demografia jest nieubłagana. Seniorzy drenują budżet NFZ, dokument elektroniczny, 19 listopada, http://forsal.pl/artykuly/906412,opieka‑zdrowotna‑w‑polsce‑koszty‑leczenia‑seniorow‑budzet‑nfz.html [dostęp: 31.08.2016].
Google Scholar
Kurowska A. (2016), Demograficzna rewolucja w zdrowiu: Ludzi będzie ubywać, ale wydatki na hospitalizację będą rosnąć. System może tego nie wytrzymać, dokument elektroniczny, 27 czerwca, http://serwisy.gazetaprawna.pl/zdrowie/artykuly/955221,demograficzna‑rewolucja‑w‑zdrowiu‑ludzi‑bedzie‑ubywac‑ale‑wydatki‑na‑hospitalizacje‑beda‑rosnac‑system‑moze‑tego‑nie‑wytrzymac.html [dostęp: 29.08.2016].
Google Scholar
Larkin M. (2011), The “medicalization” of aging: what it is, how it harms and what to do about it, „The Journal on Active Aging”, January/February, s. 28–36.
Google Scholar
Moynihan R., Heath I., Henry D. (2002), Selling sickness: the pharmaceutical industry and disease mongering, „British Medical Journal”, vol. 324(7342), s. 886–891.
Google Scholar
Nowakowski M., Nowakowska L. (2010), Medykalizacja starości: dylematy i zagrożenia, [w:] D. Kałuża, P. Szukalski (red.), Jakość życia seniorów w XXI wieku. Ku aktywności, Uniwersytet Łódzki, Łódź.
Google Scholar
Pieprzyk M., Pieprzyk P. (2012), Osoby starsze w systemie ochrony zdrowia, „Ruch Prawniczy, Ekonomiczny i Socjologiczny”, r. LXXIV, z. 3, s.175–188.
Google Scholar
Poitras G., Meredith L. (2008), Ethical Transparency and Economic Medicalization, „Journal of Business Ethics”, vol. 86, s. 313–325, doi: 10.1007/s10551-008-9849-2.
Google Scholar
Schmidt W.C. (2011), Medicalization of Aging: The Upside and the Downside, „Marquette Elder’s Advisor”, vol. 13, issue 1, article 2, s. 55–88.
Google Scholar
Szarota Z. (2010), Starzenie się i starość w wymiarze instytucjonalnego wsparcia, Wydawnictwo Naukowe UP, Kraków.
Google Scholar
Waggoner M.R., Stults H.D. (2010), Gender and Medicalization, „Sociologists for Women in Society” Fact Sheet, Spring, https://www.socwomen.org/wp‑content/uploads/2010/05/fact_4–2010‑medicalization.pdf [dostęp: 29.08.2016].
Google Scholar
Williams S.J., Martin P., Gabe J. (2011), The pharmaceuticalisation of society? A framework for analysis, „Sociology of Health & Illness”, vol. 33, no. 5, s. 710–725, http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9566.2011.01320.x.
Google Scholar
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
