Today, there is a marked increase in emphasis on reducing prejudice in society and examining our own biases based around human traits like race, religion, gender, sexual orientation and identity, and other characteristics. Ironically, though, in discussions of bigotry, many young people and even some seniors themselves, will often make snide remarks about “old people” who do not share their attitudes or vote in the same way as them. Remarks like this lump all seniors into one bucket.
Ageism can take many forms, such as depicting older people as frail, dependent, or out of touch in the media, or through discriminatory practices such as rationing health care by age, or through institutional policies such as mandatory retirement at a certain age. If fighting ageism because it’s the right thing to do, here are some more reasons to avoid age-related stereotypes.
Ageism harms the overall health of older adults. Experiencing discrimination on a regular basis is a real blow to our self esteem. And that can raise the levels or cortisol in our bodies, the stress hormone, which can put seniors at a higher risk of heart disease, respiratory problems, depression and disability from numerous causes. Recent studies have even shown that experiencing ageism can shorten lifespan by up to a decade.
Additionally, the stress generated by negative attitudes about aging can result in pathological brain changes. Studies have shown that even people who have a genetic risk of developing Alzheimer’s are 44% less likely to develop dementia if they have positive beliefs about aging.