Tackling Ageism in Cancer Care

COSA hosted an online multidisciplinary forum over two evenings on 22 and 29 November 2022, 7:00-8:30pm AEDT. This initiative, led by Dr Michael Krasovitsky and COSA's Geriatric Oncology Emerging Experts and Researchers Group, was developed as a means of progressing COSA's Geriatric Oncology Group’s agenda to improve outcomes for older adults with cancer, and it builds upon the advocacy piece submitted for Cancer Australia’s Australian Cancer Plan. The Forum focused on the increasingly recognised concept of Ageism. Ageism represents how we feel about, act towards, and discriminate against older people, both consciously and subconsciously. As a community, it is our responsibility to understand and tackle this all-to-common form of bigotry. We believe that if we face our ageist biases and proactively work to reduce, even eliminate, our devaluation of older adults, we can achieve person-centred, equity-focused and evidence-based care that improves outcomes for older Australians with cancer.

More information

The inaugural COSA Ageism Forum brought together multidisciplinary cancer clinicians, geriatricians, consumers and world-leading ageism experts to facilitate an open and respectful discussion of how ageism affects our patients, and our colleagues.

The Forum took place over two evenings and four interactive sessions, with each involving a multidisciplinary conversation regarding real-world ageism, and its impact on patient outcomes, experience and systems of practice.

Recordings

Recordings are available to COSA members (you will need to login to access)

Evening 1

Evening 2

Tuesday 22 November panel:

Session 1:

Ageism in the multidisciplinary care of the older individual with cancer

Session 2:

Ageism in the supportive care, survivorship, and palliative care of the older individual with cancer

Tuesday 29 November panel:

Session 3:

Ageism in the nursing and comprehensive allied health care of the older individual with cancer   

Session 4:

Systems of practice, and societal pressures & norms, for older patients with cancer