Defeating Ageism

When something becomes an “ism,” it is because it is recognized as a form of oppression. Think of racism, sexism, classism and you’ll see the application of these three simple letters to turn a word into a descriptor of an issue.  Ageism, of course, also falls into that category.  Ageism, as we know, refers to prejudice or discrimination because of a person’s age.  While that can apply to either the young or the old, it is most often connected with the intense biases that exist against older adults.

Ageism, along with other “isms,” is about stereotypes that are assumed to be true.  They become a part of our cultural understanding and can result in everything from making older adults the butt of jokes to victimization of elders.

Our youth-focused culture has long been dismissive of older adults.  Remember “Don’t trust anybody over 30?”  While that age bar has moved somewhat, the attitudes remain.  Look at the media.  How often do we see older adults portrayed as frail and incompetent? How often do they become objects of ridicule?  How many times did you see the video that mocks elders for not being able to remember the name “Alexa” when trying to use voice control with their Amazon device?

We saw ageism in full force during the dark days of the pandemic.  In residential facilities, residents were, by order of the government, confined to their rooms and visitors were not allowed in for months.  Because they were “of a certain age,” because they lived in a setting that provided some services, they were deprived of their right to choose, their right to have control over their lives.

Ageism pervades our language when we talk about elders and their needs. We often hear people talk about “diapers” for an older adult who is struggling with continence issues.  Let’s be real.  Adults don’t wear diapers, babies do.  Adults wear briefs or disposable undergarments. They are not babies, nor should they be treated as such or degraded in such a way.

From the perspective of having worked for more than 15 years with older adults, I can say with complete certainty that every elder has something unique to offer.  Perhaps they live in a care setting because they have a health issue or a decline in their cognitive abilities. But that does not make them worthless or meaningless.  I know, and have known, elders who were professors who continued to teach and study, attorneys who continued to practice, therapists who—even now—work with their patients virtually.  I’ve watched elders create art, write and read poetry, perform in musical productions.  I’ve taken five missions of elders to Israel, seeing each person engage in every aspect of the experience and coming home to share the story.

And those are older adults who live in a setting that offers care and support. There are so many others living in community. They work, volunteer, care for grandchildren, lead programs, teach classes, continue to learn and continue to grow.

When we let ageism go unchallenged, we diminish our society. We discount a valuable portion of our population that has much more to give. We devalue the lives of elders, we ignore the contributions that they are still capable of making and we, in truth, lay a dreary course for our own futures.

How do we reverse this trend?  I would suggest that the first step is recognizing and calling it when we see it.  If you open your eyes, you will see.  If you open your mouth, you can enlighten others.  If we seek, and recognize, abilities, regardless of date of birth, how much richness could we bring into the world, for the elders of today and for ourselves?