Discrimination based on age is something that doesn’t get talked about enough. Many people in society have their own prejudices about older people. Examples of these prejudices include having poor memory, not being physically capable, and being bad with technology. Being old does not automatically mean that someone is going to have poor memory, or that they’re going to be physically incapable, yet people still jump to these conclusions. This is bad in two ways: (1) Ageism perpetuates stereotypes about older people that are not true, and (2) ageism negatively affects older people’s mental and physical health by causing things like raised stress levels and a decreased will to live. So how do we stop age discrimination?
Two topics that have already been covered on this blog are Intergenerational Housing and Intergenerational Socialization. Having younger people live and socialize with older adults helps older adults have a happier and healthier life, while also breaking down negative stereotypes that are associated with older people. Villages help older people stay connected with people of all ages in their communities.
For more information on Ageism:
https://healthjournalism.org/blog/2016/06/how-ageism-can-negatively-affect-the-health-of-older-adults/
https://www.sageminder.com/SeniorHealth/Issues/AgeDiscrimination.aspx
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