What You Can Do To Stop Ageism: 

What is Ageism?  

Ageism is defined as the act of discriminating, stereotyping, or being prejudiced toward people based on their age.^1,2 Studies have shown that ageism toward older adults is highly prevalent across different countries, and negative attitudes toward aging pose a significant risk to health and well-being in the later years.¹ 93% of older adults experience ageism during healthcare visits in the U.S.² Additionally, having a cynical outlook on aging contributes to slower recovery from illness, poor mental health, and increased mortality risk.¹ However, together we can fight ageism. Here are four things we can do to tackle ageism:  

• Education: We need to educate the public about the myths surrounding aging.¹ Rather than seeing aging as a time of decline, we need to view it as a time of continued growth and optimism.¹ Educate your relatives and loved ones about the significant effects ageism has on mental health and overall well-being.  
• Promoting Intergenerational Relationships: Social support and continued family relationships are essential for society.³ In older adults, these relationships are a buffer against negative perceptions of themselves and negative outcomes regarding their health and well-being.³ In recent research, it has been shown that intergenerational contact greatly reduces the chances that children will develop ageist attitudes.³ Creating intergenerational relationships can be accomplished through mentoring, community projects, and social events that bring different generations together.  
• Training and Educating Workforce Professionals: Workforce professionals need to be trained and educated about ageism and aging myths. The elderly depend on professionals who treat and interact with them, so preventing age prejudices and stereotypical assumptions about aging is vital.³ The need for ageism training and education becomes even more important as the population of older adults over 65 is expected to increase by 3.5 million by 2030.³  
• Speak Up: It is essential to recognize ageism when it occurs to combat it. This includes stereotypes about potential that are based on the individual’s age, attitudes that devalue contributions based on age, and discriminatory comments about a person’s age.² When we come across such instances of ageism, we ought to speak up to encourage diversity, refute myths, and draw attention to harmful circumstances that others might be unaware.²  

Our staff at Live Your Life have implemented these strategies to mitigate ageism in the workspace. Together, we can stop ageism in our community and workplace. Check out our page to learn more about our services so that we can help you Live Your Life.

References 

¹Burnes D, Sheppard C, Henderson CR Jr, et al. Interventions to Reduce Ageism Against Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Am J Public Health. 2019;109(8):e1-e9. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2019.305123 

²Lenchik L, Steinbach L, Boutin RD. Ageism in Society and Its Health Impact. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2023;221(1):137-138. doi:10.2214/AJR.22.28748 

³Nelson TD. Reducing Ageism: Which Interventions Work?. Am J Public Health. 2019;109(8):1066-1067. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2019.305195