Background. Population aging is a challenge for social policy and medical care. The problem of ageism -discrimination of a person by age -is closely connected with the phenomenon of the aging of society. Objectives. The aim of this study was to investigate the views of 60+ respondents about medical care and the possible manifestations of ageism in healthcare institutions in four countries for developing recommendations for the formation of "good practices" for older people and a worthy attitude towards them. Material and methods. An anonymous survey was conducted on 478 people (who gave informed consent to participate in the study) aged 60+: in Belarus -139, Poland -110, Russia -123, Lithuania -106. Opinions about medical care and manifestations of ageism were assessed using a questionnaire by Kropińska entitled "Studying the phenomenon of age discrimination in older people". Results. The opinion of the majority of respondents about medical care in their country of residence was found to be satisfactory. Manifestations of ageism in healthcare institutions, according to respondents, range from 20.9% to 43.0%. Conclusions.In the analysed groups of respondents in four countries, the provision of medical care is assessed positively. The high level of manifestation of ageism in healthcare institutions is a problem, which indicates the need to reduce the risks of its occurrence.

Background. Ageism and loneliness in old age are largely dependent on the social causes that force elderly people to seek long-term care in nursing homes. Objectives. To study and assess the phenomenon of ageism and the experience of loneliness based on the perceptions of elderly people from nursing homes and households. Material and methods. Elderly people (42 women and 20 men) aged 65+ (76,0 ± 5,24) years were examined. Group I included 29 people living in a nursing home, while group II included 33 people living in households. The levels of ageism were evaluated according to the Fraboni scale, while the experience of loneliness was evaluated based on the UCLA method. Results. We found that the level of ageism was classified as neutral in 80% of the respondents and did not differ significantly in the groups. Only the classification "alienation, avoidance" in the Fraboni scale was expressed more in group II (p < 0.05). Group I informants were twice as likely to experience a high level of loneliness (p < 0.05). For respondents from nursing home, a high level of loneliness was facilitated by the phenomenon of the closed structure of institutions of social services. For those living in households, the experience of loneliness was more typical in connection with the manifestations of ageism in the form of gerontostereotypization, discrimination and especially alienation-avoidance. Conclusions. Manifestations of ageism and loneliness were identified among the elderly in both groups and each have their own characteristics. The high level of loneliness and ageism among the elderly should be considered as factors contributing to the emergence of psycho-emotional disorders.

Background. Interpersonal conflicts are one of the causes of depressive syndromes among patients, which contribute to the development of arterial hypertension. Minimizing the risk of conflicts between elderly patients is necessary for providing effective therapy. Objectives. To identify and analyze the behavioral patterns of elderly people in conflict situations suffering from and not suffering from hypertension. Material and methods. The number of patients of the gerontological center who took part in the research amounted to 117 females (55+ years of age). The studies of the Thomas-Kilmann Instrument (TKI) conflict assessment methodology were used to identify the characteristics of the behavior of elderly patients in conflict situations. Results. The largest number of patients was identified as the leading conflict resolution strategy in both groups. We agree that a significant number of those studied could not decide on the leading strategy of behavior in the conflict and use two or more strategies to resolve conflict situations. Patients with hypertension have higher rates of resistance to conflict than those who do not have this disease. Conclusions. The strategy of adaptation is the leading strategy for resolving conflict situations among elderly people who have and have not been diagnosed with hypertension. This is why it was revealed that elderly people with hypertension have higher levels of resistance to conflict.