ABSTRACT
Introduction If you are wondering why I have written a separate chapter on caring for older people, when in fact English law does not necessarily distinguish between the older and younger adult, then your thoughts are along the right lines. However, there are a number of reasons for this particular chapter. First, in the UK and indeed in many developed and developing countries older people are living longer. In the UK older people are utilising considerable health and social care resources (Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2005; NMC, 2010b). Along with this trend is the issue of ageism, seen as a process of systematic stereotyping of, and discrimination against, old people. Ageism sets up a fear and denigration of the ageing process, giving legitimacy and credibility to the use of chronological age as a systematic way of denying resources and opportunities to elderly people (Bytheway and Johnson, 1990).
