My Take: Ageism against the elderly
In a 2021 article “Aging: Ageism,” the World Health Organization states that ageism refers to “the stereotypes (how we think), prejudice (how we feel) and discrimination (how we act) towards others or oneself based on age.” The article also asserts that ageism against the elderly “is associated with earlier death (by 7.5 years), poorer physical and mental health, and slower recovery from disability in older age.”
A 2019 University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging indicates that “82% of older adults reported regularly experiencing at least one form of everyday ageism in their day-to-day lives. Two in three older adults (65%) reported exposure to ageist messages. … This included often or sometimes hearing, seeing, and/or reading jokes about old age, aging, or older people (61%) or hearing, seeing, and/or reading things suggesting that older adults and aging are unattractive or undesirable (38%).”
In a 2021 article in the Journal of Aging and Health, researchers notes that “everyday ageism serves to strip older adults of their individuality and instead identify them as belonging to a group that is decidedly different from mainstream society and, by extension, not guaranteed the same rights, privileges, and respect.”
Consider the following scenarios:
Scenario 1: The same person owns two apartment complexes, A and B. Residents in A are between the ages of 21 and 55 with a median age of forty. Residents in B are 65 and older with a median age of 80. The owner knows that, unlike their counterparts in A, the overwhelming majority of individuals in B are preoccupied with health issues, have serious concerns about how to fund the cost of a skilled nursing facility if they need one, and do not have access to a computer, much less the digital skills necessary to access information about their rights. He also knows that the last thing elderly folks want to do is move. But the owner is an unscrupulous fellow who has consciously decided to double the monthly rent of the residents in B. He surmises that, given their overall health profile, it is highly unlikely that the residents in B will resist the rent increase. He recently overheard a group of them essentially say, “If the landlord raises our rent sky high, there’s not much we can do about it.” So, the owner doubles their rent, and the residents acquiesce. This is a case of “explicit” or intentional ageism.
Scenario 2: An elderly Medicare patient has a scheduled appointment with her cardiologist. When she arrives at the healthcare facility, a receptionist summarily informs her that she will be seeing a different cardiologist. Her regular doctor has moved to another state. The patient was not notified of the physician’s departure and afforded no opportunity to choose a different doctor prior to her visit. Instead of asking why she was not informed and simply moved from one physician to another, she reluctantly agrees to allow the new doctor to treat her. If the healthcare facility is treating her differently because of her age but is unaware that it is doing just that, then, unlike the first scenario, this is a case of “implicit” or unintentional ageism. The discrimination is not consciously intended. It is more subtle and nuanced. But it is still ageism.
The stubborn fact is that the “golden years” of one’s life carry with them the increased probability of dealing with one or more health issues. Not surprisingly, a negative stereotype emerges that older folks are past their prime, prone to illness, disease, and disability, and no longer productive or contributing members of society. The stereotype provides unscrupulous or uninformed individuals with an open invitation to take advantage of them.
The literature exposing the problem of ageism and its negative effects is growing rapidly. But at the end of the day, it is incumbent upon older adults or their surrogates to advocate for themselves. So, to the elderly I say: If you believe the value or worth of a human being does not change with age, then the next time someone tries to raise your rent without adequate justification or shuffle you from doctor to doctor without your knowledge or consent or treat you in a way they would not treat a younger person, do not acquiesce. Step up to the plate and protest by letting your collective voices be heard, loud and clear, lest the scourge of ageism against the elderly continue unabated.
— John Kearney is a retired philosophy professor at Saint Joseph's University in Philadelpha. He currently resides in Waterloo, Iowa.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: My Take: Ageism against the elderly
