Ageism is discrimination against older individuals for negative or wrong stereotypes. It mainly occurs in our society, workplace, healthcare and even housing. In the 2017 ageing report, according to the United Nations, the total number of older population ranging from 60 years and above was 962 million worldwide, and the evaluation signified that the older population possibly will grow to around 2.1 billion by 2050 (Maurya et al., 2022). Due to the increased ageing population globally, adequate levels of wellness and health in older people must be maintained. In addition, the study suggests that harmful stereotypes are attained at younger ages and tend to manifest themselves in old age, leading to deprived outcomes for older people in many areas, such as memory and cognitive performance, their will to live, work execution, and even their health. Therefore, ageism is a chief threat against older individuals and, thereby, a crucial public health problem.
Due to the substantial rise in life expectancy combined with the fall in fertility and recovered mortality disorders in recent decades, population ageing has been declared an unending demographic occurrence internationally. The change in the age structure impacts the social, economic, and health conditions for individuals, society, and families, as well as retirement, pensions, intergenerational social support systems, and other social benefits. Also, according to the records from the World Values Survey that involved 57 countries, 60% of the respondents stated that older individuals do not obtain the respect they deserve (Marques et al., 2020). In addition, an increase in the old population percentage projected a negative attitude towards them. Therefore, modern trends in universal population ageing, combined with the lack of directed policies to address this problem professionally, will likely encourage a rise in ageism.
Ageism is a complex concept that can work both consciously explicitly and unconsciously implicitly (Marques et al., 2020). Implicit biases are intuitive attitudes, feelings, prejudgements, and stereotypes a person can acquire due to past influences and trajectories all through their lives. For instance, when the concept of an older person comes into the picture, they are generally associated with negative connotations in mind. Implicit inclinations decrease the biases in dimensions that stem from social appeal, that is, from people defending their status when surveyed. For example, implicit connotations with the notion ‘old’ are extended to obesity and disability, the utmost undesirable associations. Therefore, the effect of implicit ageism on workstation’ conduct could be measured by a rigorous, high-powered investigation. According to a practical viewpoint, if the attitudes are implicit, people cannot independently track their results on their employment or promotion decisions. Office research should, therefore, observe patterns that could display unexamined bias.
On the other hand, the explicit bias of ageism involves the conscious and openly communicated prejudgment or discrimination against someone in regard to their age. This happens when the person is fully alert to their biased attitude and energetically conveys it over words or actions. Individuals who display explicit ageism are always absolutely conscious of their damaging beliefs about a particular age group and still portray their willingness to express them through direct jokes, comments and behaviours that discriminate against the aged (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2022). For example, in some job interviews, one can find the Human Resource managers telling an applicant that they are too old for specific jobs. Hence, it is important to address the issue of explicit ageism biases, especially in workplaces, as it results in discrimination in promotions, training opportunities and hiring. Also, explicit ageism can cause psychological effects such as feelings of isolation, reduced sense of belonging and decreased self-esteem in older adults. Therefore, it is essential to raise awareness and educate people on the damaging effects of ageism and also urge open conversations on age-related prejudices.
There are several methods of classifying ageism. It can be categorized according to where it occurs, for example, institutional ageism, interpersonal ageism, and internalized ageism. According to the 2020 National Poll on Healthy Aging data, 82% of aged Americans testified experiencing ageism frequently, quoting 65% was from media, 45% was interpersonal, and 36% was internalized ageism (Villines, 2021). Institutional ageism occurs when an organization disseminates ageism over its actions and policies. This is witnessed in organizations that refuse to recruit individuals over or under a specific age gap. Other businesses also endorse policies that unethically mistreat one group more than the other. In addition, some institutions view older people as less productive, baffled in their ways, or out of touch, while other companies view younger people as irresponsible, untrustworthy, or unskilled. Therefore, many institutions are prone to bullying and harassment among the workers and even customers just because of the age gap difference that created.
According to a 2019 systematic review, ageism discrimination has affected many phases of healthcare, from analysis to prognosis, healthcare programmes and office culture (Villines, 2021). Also, in the 2021 study report, elder speak was a very common way of communicating, primarily used in healthcare, that involved speaking to older people with an oversimplified verbal, sweet talks, or musical tone of voice one could use for a child thus, promoting patient infantilization (Villines, 2021). Even though people use elder speak in an attempt to communicate more effectively with older individuals, it is very demeaning. Elder speak can lead to uneven power dynamics among caregivers and the persons they care for; it is not impressive. Wrong concepts about ageing can also result in incorrect medical care. For instance, many doctors assume that older individuals are less independent. This may lead to them being instructed to wear diapers or have bed rest, which might be unnecessary, making them more dependent on others.
Different societies tend to treat older individuals with deviations centred on their social norms, power dynamics, and cultural values. Distinct forms of ageist attitudes and behaviours, such as prejudice, discrimination, and stereotypes, are influenced by family structures, social roles and status, and collectivist vs individualist cultures within a society. The family structure and intergenerational association can influence ageist attitudes. For instance, societies with solid, stretched family bonds tend to deliver additional support and social incorporation for older individuals, thus reducing prejudice and discrimination against ageism, while cultures that practice individualism may tend to seclude older individuals. In addition, cultures that allocate substantial roles and status to older people based on their knowledge and skills, for example, the tribal elders, are likely to experience less ageism as compared to societies that expect the older to retire and not to participate actively in community activities.
Also, different cultures tend to describe older people as admired and respected wisdom possessors, which may become a burden or irrelevant to a society depending on its norms. A good example is that some Asian cultures value family devotion and thus strongly respect the elderly. At the same time, Western societies tend to concentrate much on youths’ productivity, thus promoting ageism. Some cultures also tend to use ageist language, which involves the use of derogatory terms while communicating with older individuals. Doing this can be deeply implanted in cultural discourse, thus extending damaging stereotypes and encouraging age discrimination. Therefore, it is essential and possible to change cultural views so as to reduce ageism. These can be achieved by raising awareness of cultural customs associated with ageing and encouraging positive representation of older individuals.
Ageism may have harmful effects that tamper with the well-being of older adults, which can be either mental, physical, professional, or financial (Kang and Kim, 2022). Ageism leads to a feeling of isolation, depression, anxiety, reduced self-esteem, reduced access to healthcare, and early death. Wrong stereotypes regarding ageing can lead to older adults not seeking the required medical treatments or even involving themselves in healthy behaviours. Older adults predominantly suffer from mental illnesses such as depression, feeling unworthy and anxiety because of being devalued or being considered useless in society just because of their age. Ageism can result in social isolation as an older individual feels left out of social activities while others fear being judged depending on their age.
Ageism beliefs can also deter older individuals from participating in physical activity in society. It also discourages older adults from looking for preventative care and sticking to medical treatment plans, which tend to worsen their physical health. Healthcare workers may tend to reject concerns or even not consider full treatment decisions for older patients because of ageism, causing insufficient care. Ageism also results in financial pressures that cause stress and trim down the sense of purpose. Employment discrimination affects hiring and recruiting processes because older adults are limited to job opportunities. Ageism also hinders happiness and a sense of well-being as it can considerably reduce the general quality of an older individual’s life.
Ageism can further be expressed at three levels: the micro-level, an individual interaction; the meso-level, which involves social networks; and the macro-level, which constitutes institutional and cultural levels (Marques et al., 2020). As a social worker, I will address and advocate for change on the micro level of ageism in 4 different ways. Firstly, I will keenly correct ageist remarks and stereotypes used by family members, colleagues, or clients to elaborate on the harmful effects of such language. Secondly, I will also emphasize the person-centred care that involves an individual need and power of older adults to prevent assumptions based on age. Thirdly, I will educate families and clients about the ageing process and disperse myths about it to fight and reduce negative stereotypes. Lastly, I will encourage positive relationships with surrogates, respect supportive interactions with older individuals, and recognize their contributions and experiences. By practising this, a decrease in ageism discrimination at a micro level is achievable.
Meso-level of ageism involves and affects a community level and its social network. As a social worker, I can address and advocate for change in many ways. First, I will facilitate intergenerational programs by organizing activities and events that bring people of different age groups together to campaign for understanding and positive attitudes towards ageing. Also, I will provide training conferences for community leaders to promote awareness of ageism and the most excellent practices for comprehensive engagements. Lastly, I will collaborate with local groups serving older individuals to support age-friendly contracts and amenities. As a social worker, I will also advocate for policies that protect older people from being discriminated against in healthcare facilities, housing, and employment programs so as to bring a change in macro-level ageism. To reduce ageism at the macro level, I will also engage in policymaking by reaching out to elected executives to chat about the need for age-friendly legislation and policies.
In conclusion, everyone must be able to address and advocate for change in age discrimination. Having learnt about the effects of ageism discrimination, such as mental illness, physical illness and also financial strains, it is good that older adults are taken care of and protected from ageism in all institutions. Therefore, it is important that everyone should address and advocate for policy changes that protect older adults from discrimination by facilitating education campaigns to raise awareness about ageism in the broader community.
References
Kang, H., & Kim, H. (2022). Ageism and psychological well-being among older adults: A systematic review. Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, 8. https://doi.org/10.1177/23337214221087023
Marques, S., Mariano, J., Mendonça, J., De Tavernier, W., Hess, M., Naegele, L., Peixeiro, F., & Martins, D. (2020). Determinants of ageism against older adults: A systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(7), 2560. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17072560
Maurya, P., Sharma, P., & Muhammad, T. (2022). Prevalence and correlates of perceived age-related discrimination among older adults in India. BMC Public Health, 22(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-13002-5
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2022). Understanding the ageing workforce. Age Discrimination, One Source of Inequality. https://doi.org/10.17226/26173
Villines, Z. (2021, November 4). What is ageism? Types, examples, and impact on health. Medical and health information. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/ageism
