Aim To examine healthcare assistants’ (HCAs) attitudes towards older people in long-term care settings and their knowledge of ageing.

Method A survey was conducted with a convenience sample of HCAs in three long-term care settings in the Republic of Ireland.

Results Overall, positive attitudes towards older people were found and there was a relationship between greater knowledge about ageing and more positive attitudes.

Conclusion Health services face challenges as a result of changing population demographics and nursing shortages. Continuing education in practice is important and nurses should lead innovations in education for HCAs.