Do you hold negative views about older people and later life? A leading charity in the UK would like to test your attitudes around ageing.
The Centre for Ageing Better launched a new campaign in January to address what they claim is the most widespread form of discrimination in the UK – ageism. They invite you to join the campaign which is called Age Without Limits. The campaign has an online quiz you can complete to help you see how you measure up in your attitudes to ageing.
Key findings of research conducted for the campaign include the revelation that half of the UK population believes society is ageist. 44% of those over 70 identified age discrimination in social media, television, movies and news reports. Ageism has negative impacts on the lives of older people, with reduced healthcare provision and employment opportunities.
A simple thing the campaign suggests we might do is challenge ageism in conversation, prompting discussion about age and ageism with people we meet. If someone refers to an older person in patronising terms (using expressions like ‘little old lady’) you could swap out the negative term with a positive one in your reply. If someone makes a joke that is offensive, you could ask them to explain the punchline. If you hear an ageist comment, why not say – ‘Was age relevant to the story?’, or ‘People can be like that at any age’.
The Centre for Ageing Better have a wonderful positive image library where you can download free images that portray a balanced picture of later life. Recent research reveals that across 20 English-speaking countries studied, the UK media was the most ageist in its use of language. We are so used to seeing pieces that belittle older people, we scarcely notice the inherent ageism.
In offering spiritual care among older people, a key contribution we can make is in challenging where they have internalised negative ideas about old age, seeing themselves through the lens of an ageist society as holding less worth. By valuing them, we embody the positive messages about age that characterise the Christian faith. The Bible is infused with affirmations of older people. By recognising and celebrating all that older people bring to our communities, we are being truly countercultural. Let’s join forces with Age Without Limits in challenging ageism when we encounter it, and having positive conversations about age.
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