Research Paper On Ageism

It is apparent that age discrimination is prevalent in today’s society within health care. This section will further explore ageism and provide ways to overcome it. According to Potter and Perry (2014) ageism is defined as “discrimination against people because of increasing age” (p. 376). Ageism has the ability to undermine self-confidence in older adults, limit their access to care, and even distort health care providers’ understanding of the uniqueness of each older adult. The Canadian Special Senate Committee on Aging has concluded that ageism in Canada is delicate and pervasive and immediate action is required (Potter & Perry, 2014). Ageism can result in over- treatment or under-treatment. For example, over-treatment can include “overuse

Ageism, an idea created by Robert Butler, can be described as degrading behavior or emotions toward older people based on one’s own fears or preconceived ideas (Butler, 1969). This kind of behavior can consist of anything from refusing jobs to someone due to their age and perceived capabilities from not offering ideal care to older people because one believes it is wasteful of resources. The presence of ageism within society leads to a population bound by certain stereotypes that can prohibit the advancement of people considered to be older adults.

Robert Butler— a physician, gerontologist, psychiatrist, and Pulitzer Prize-winning author, who was the first director of the National Institute on Aging— described ageism as “[a] process of systematic stereotyping or discrimination against people because they are old, just as racism and sexism accomplish with skin color and gender. Ageism allows the younger generations to see older people as different than themselves; thus they subtly cease to identify with their elders as human beings.”

“Ageism has been called the ultimate prejudice, the last discrimination, the cruelest rejection,” Stein (unpublished). We as a people have defeated for the most part racism and sexism, but we have allowed the third great “ism” to remain unchallenged. “This widely practiced prejudice has gone on for generations and is known as ageism,” (Palmore, Erdman, Ballagh (1999). By definition, according to Webster’s Dictionary, it is discrimination against person’s of a certain age group. Ageism includes both positive affect and a negative connotation with any given age group. It is predominately seen as a reflection on the elderly. Positive aspects of ageism on the elderly include medical care, discounts and tax

Ageism is a form of discrimination and prejudice, particularly experienced by seniors. Most seniors are mentally and physically active regardless of age with a great deal to contribute. http://www.alfa.org/alfa/Ageism.asp

“The term ‘aging out’ refers to children within a state’s foster care system who are still in the system upon reaching the age of majority or when they have graduated from high school” (Craft, 2017, Aging Out). Many of these children “have not found permanency with an adoptive family … or they have not been able to return to their biological parents” (Craft, 2017, Aging Out). A child typically ages out at 18 years, “but some states have extended services beyond this age because so many young adults are just not ready to be thrust out into the world on their own at such a young age” (Craft, 2017, Aging Out). If a foster parent chooses to continue parenting the foster child once they have aged out of the system, they are able to as long as the foster youth is okay with this. If an individual continues fostering a child, they will no longer receive money from the state.

Ageism is any attitudes, actions, or institutional structure which subordinates a person or group because of their age or any assignment of roles in society purely on the basis of age. It typically reflects a prejudice in society against older adults. The concept of aging varies across different cultures as different countries have varying demographic statistics such as Japan and Italy having significant part of their population above the age of 60 versus most countries in Africa who have significant parts of their population below the age of 30. Most research on ageism is done on children, adolescents, or young adults with few studies on actual older adults. Age is increasingly becoming a more positive concept, yet older people are still stereotyped. The three theories in sociology about aging are disengagement, activity, and continuity.

A new culture of ageism is now in the medical world. So many Canadians look down on seniors that ageism has become the most tolerated form of social discrimination in Canada. Health care professionals like Nathan Stall, a future geriatrics specialist and Carrie Willkies, a registered nurse are both against this new norm. In both pieces, the central idea is clear, “The Eradication of Ageism in health care”.

Sissy Spacek played Mrs. Walters, the demented, ornery mother of a racist woman in the movie, The Help. In this film by Columbus and Taylor (2011), ageism was portrayed multiple times in the eyes of her own daughter, Hilly Holbrook. For example, Hilly was indifferent of her mother’s forgetful behavior, ignored her feelings and direct remarks, and depended on her helper to meet her mother’s basic needs. In a specific scene, she ordered her helper, “Give mother a chair before she breaks her hip.” In return, Mrs. Walters replied, “I’m still not deaf, you know.” In the end, despite her memory lapses, Columbus and Taylor (2011) set the scene when Mrs. Walters confronted her daughter’s disrespectful behavior stating, “I may

Age discrimination has long been present in society due to the rapid development happening around us. According to Farney, Aday & Breault (2006), this era of ageism is defined as "discrimination against any age group", but it often is pointed to age discrimination among adults which is slowly causing a negative effect for them in the workplace. In the workplace, adults with more experience and longer history behind them are targets of this ageism belief that companies and employers tend to have (Farney, Aday, & Breault, 2006). They are shunned and even fired in favor of accepting new and fresh faces for the company they have worked for. Unknown to most companies and employers, this notion of favoring the young and banishing the old can

In the past one hundred years, the human life expectancy has increased by thirty years. This trend continues to rise (Hooyman & Kiyak, 2018). As a direct result, the amount of elderly people in our society will also rise. At first glance, this may seem like a positive growth in our society. However, when taking a second look, you come to realize that with such a positive trend comes a negative trend: the growth of ageism.

In conclusion, ageism in today’s times is a real form of discrimination and needs to be fixed. An individual’s skills and capabilities should be based on a personal level, not their age. The elderly and the young need just as much job opportunities as the middle-aged individuals living in the

Ageism as defined by Merriam-Webster (2016), “prejudice or discrimination against a particular age-group and especially the elderly”. A study conducted by Nelson (2016), studied the effect of ageism and negative stereotypes which older adults

This is a society of isms, racism, sexism, and ageism. It labels, stereotypes, and categorizes people, by shape, size, color, and age. The elderly in their later years should be able to have a peaceable life, treated with dignity and respect. However, pretty much anyone under the age of 50 is a target for an attack of an attitude of ageism at some point. Those who do the disrespecting don’t stop to consider that at some point, they will also be at the receiving end of that attitude.” (Webb)

Knowing and having an understanding of what ageing stands for, remains an important step, growing-up or growing older and ageism are theories about older individuals. Ageism includes preconceptions that elderly are categorized for their age and perceived as weak, and incapable of performing tasks and needy of others (Quadagno, 2014). Another view about elderly individuals is the way they are looked down on by the younger society, i.e. elderly are not as intelligent as their younger competitive working force. People fear what they do not know and do not understand. Age transpires as something that must be lived through in order to understand what ageing means; looking back on one’s life and seeing accomplishments made,