Infantilization is a behavioral pattern where an autonomous individual is treated as a child. This behavior manifests in various forms, such as the use of inappropriate or exaggerated vocabulary, thereby disregarding the social status and dignity of the elderly. Ethics, as a branch of philosophy, guides values related to appropriate and inappropriate human behavior. This article aims to enhance our understanding of elder infantilization and consequently facilitate the avoidance of such behaviors through a thorough analysis of the concept. This concept analysis study employed Walker and Avant's eight-step approach. A comprehensive literature search was conducted, encompassing both Persian and English databases, including Magiran, SID, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, with no time limitations. Keywords used for evidence retrieval included "infantilization," "elderspeak," "elderly," and "older people" in both Persian and English. A total of seven selected articles were reviewed in full text, and attributes, antecedents, and consequences related to the concept of elder infantilization were extracted. Antecedents of elder infantilization include functional impairment and observable disabilities, cognitive impairment, age over 70 years, and non-age-related factors such as lower education, less credible professional backgrounds, and care provided by younger caregivers. Infantilization is more prevalent in patients with delirium and those experiencing prolonged hospital stays. Environmental factors contributing to infantilization include the use of childish decorations in elderly care facilities. Activity-related manifestations encompass the lack of elderly participation in decision-making, inappropriate grooming of elderly women, loss of privacy and independence, reprimands, punishments, confinement, suppression of sexual expression, engagement in childish games, and the use of nicknames without the elderly person's consent.Linguistic manifestations include the use of childish terms and phrases, short sentences, simplified language, slow or exaggerated speech, and addressing elderly individuals by diminutive names without their permission. Consequences of elder infantilization encompass negative impacts on behavior, well-being, personal identity, relationship formation, social interaction, diminished abstract thinking abilities, limited problem-solving skills, decreased self-esteem, and increased resistance to care in individuals with cognitive impairment. Fostering autonomy is an ethical imperative in the care of the elderly across all service-providing settings. The occurrence of infantilizing behaviors towards the elderly stems from a failure to adopt a person-centered approach to care. It is crucial to prevent such behaviors by ensuring the provision of age-appropriate services for the elderly, even when they experience physical or cognitive disabilities.
