I’m in my Medicare Era. Dealing with signing up for the programs, researching what I need and how it affects my current group coverages. Open season. Social security. What if I get it wrong? Will I screw up the rest of my life? Then there is the inner voice that was cracking jokes at my age and my creaking knees. Dismissing that there is a future for me, repeating “too late, too late.” That’s internal ageism. I know what it is; I’m battling my inner cranky person by turning to some trusted resources, one of those being my library.
What is ageism? It is a type of discrimination based on a person’s age and usually based on stereotypes, misinformation, prejudices and lack of knowledge. It presents as elder abuse and as discrimination including in health care, the work place, language, the media and in emergency services. The term was first used in 1968 by Dr. Robert Butler, a gerontologist and the first director of the National Institute of Aging, equating ageism to racism and sexism. Although over half a century has passed, ageism remains a barrier that denies equal access to older folk, putting unfair limitations on older adults’ abilities to live to their fullest potential and devalues them as individuals.
The American Psychological Association warns that ageism is one of the last socially acceptable prejudices and this article includes some ideas to help people shift their perspective on aging.
For people who want to research further, the library has several books about ageism that delve into why it is hanging around. One of these is “Ageism Unmasked: Exploring Age Bias and How To End It” by Dr. Tracey Gendron. In her writing, Gendron breaks apart the stereotype that ‘young’ and ‘old’ are “distinct and separate states of being” and provides strong examples of people being authentic and successful as elders. In this book, explore how ageism has become ingrained in our culture and learn ways to recognize your personal self-limiting voice.
The question in the title comes from one of these books; once you reach a certain age, people just start wondering how long you plan to stick around. Maybe, for the good of the company you should retire? Don’t you do that until you are ready!
Regarding her research for her book, “Breaking the Age Code: How Your Beliefs About Aging Determine How Long & Well You Live,” Dr. Becca Levy said “In every case, I found information that not only contradicted the negative stereotype but also highlighted a strength that comes with aging.” After examining ageism through her findings, experiences and anecdotes, Levy presents the ABC method of changing your own age-declining mindset into an age-thriving mindset. These three stages include increasing awareness, placing blame where blame is due, and challenging negative age beliefs.
“Women in Late Life: Critical Perspectives on Gender and Age” is written as a snapshot of issues that older women might face with the caveat that men may experience similar issues if they are in a lower income bracket. Author Martha Holstein discusses the close relationship between culture, politics and individual experiences of old age. She warns that older people should not “partake in narratives that can harm us” and should also learn how to recognize and address ageism that presents itself as social norms. As a whole, this book addresses more than the topic of ageism, including body image, caring at the end of life, Social Security, caregiving and more. As a personal note regarding the books I read for this article, I may buy this one; the personal narratives blended excellent research into a very informative book.
And for a call to arms for older people presented with humor and strength, I suggest you consider “This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism” by author and activist Ashton Applewhite. She says “Bear witness, and speak up. Things start small. No successful struggle began as a mass movement.”
It is time to acknowledge that age equality is a matter of civil and human rights. Discrimination on the basis of age is as unacceptable as discrimination on the basis of any other aspect of ourselves we cannot change. Let us work to create the world we want for our children and our children’s children, one in which our understanding is fact-based and in which we can all flourish.
