ABSTRACT
This chapter reflects on how discrepancies between Western active ageing discourses and the Romanian social reality shape the way that Romanian doctors perceive ageing patients and construct their role as healthy ageing promoters. Findings from a qualitative study with Romanian general practitioners (GPs) are discussed to provide insight into how health professionals’ views on ageing and old people guide the implementation of active ageing policy principles. The latter constitutes a challenge for Romanian GPs as they lack the skills to deal with their own negative ageing stereotypes and promote positive ageing. The chapter contributes to the volume by exploring how medical professionals internalize negative ageing stereotypes from their cultural environment and perpetuate these in their practice with older patients. The need for culturally tailored interventions is discussed as a way to tackle the dissonance between active ageing policy ideals and the social reality of ageing in precarious circumstances.
