October 7th: Ageism Awareness Day
By: Kateryna Voznyuk
October 7th is Ageism Awareness Day, reminding us to reflect on how we treat ourselves and others based on our age, and allowing this understanding to guide our actions with grace, patience, and fairness.
Ageism is the combination of stereotypes and discrimination based on age, and it is one of the most widespread and socially accepted forms of prejudice. It can range from unconscious biases to normalized negative jokes to patronizing elderspeak, and it affects everyone in our society.
According to the World Health Organization, children as young as three years old are aware of their culture’s age stereotypes, which guide not only their behaviour towards people of different age groups but also their own self-perceptions. This is especially important to consider as past research has found people with more positive outlooks on their own ageing live 7.5 years longer than those with less positive ones, regardless of age, gender, socioeconomic status, and functional health.
In healthcare, older adults are less likely to receive preventative care or be included in clinical trials, and doctors specialized in elder patient care– geriatricians– are harder to come by. There is also evidence that ageism leads to worse mental health outcomes for mental health conditions, including depression and dementia.
These stereotypes also translate to the workplace two-fold: older employees are assumed to be less productive while younger employees are seen as lazy, despite having equal average productivity. Furthermore, older adults who continue to work tend to be healthier than those who are retired or unemployed according to the CDC.
The University of Nevada recommends the following ideas on how to combat ageism:
Recognition: It is important to understand ageism and how it appears, especially in a society where it is so commonly used in media, marketing, and daily conversations.
Advocacy: Speak up for yourself and point out degrading or unfair language you hear from others. Monitor your own thoughts for similar commentary and try rephrasing these thoughts when they arise to be more considerate of your present self.
Empathy: Think about how you would like to be treated and whether your actions are fair to others. Perhaps reflect on your own experiences where you may have been patronized or talked to like a child and reorient how you approach your own self-talk.
Inclusivity: Invite new experiences with people of other generations to yours! Promoting intergenerational projects, volunteering in elementary schools and nursing homes, or simply striking up conversation with a colleague can broaden your worldview.
Patience: If you recognize some of your behavior can be taken as ageism, take comfort in knowing you are now more aware and prepared to address your ways of thinking.
By holding onto these values, we can help ourselves and our loved ones fully embrace the benefits of each life’s stage while being patient with our changing abilities and experiences. Healthy aging is a continuous process of taking care of your body and mind; addressing ageism is a wonderful step in the healthy direction.
“We don’t stop playing because we grow old. We grow old because we stop playing.” - Bernard Shaw, Nobel Prize (1925) Laureate and Academy Award (1939) Winner
If you’d like to learn more about ageism, feel free to check out the following resources:
Breaking the Age Code: How Your Beliefs About Aging Determine How Long and Well You Live by Dr. Rebecca Levy
Ageism Unmasked by Tracey Gendron
Amy Gorely, Carolina Meadows: Fighting Ageism Be Bold, Claim Old
Sources:
American Society on Aging. (2023). American society on aging. Ageism Awareness Day. https://www.asaging.org/ageism-awareness
Nevada Today. (2022, October 5). Stop Limiting Beliefs About People of All Ages. University of Nevada, Reno. https://www.unr.edu/nevada-today/blogs/2022/ageism-awareness-day
Petery, G. A. (2021). Understanding Workplace Ageism. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://blogs.cdc.gov/niosh-science-blog/2021/10/01/ageism/
World Health Organization. (2023). Ageing: Ageism. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/ageing-ageism
Photo used courtesy of iStockPhoto.com
