Aging is a reality of life, but this natural phenomenon still faces resistance from much of society. Whether anti-aging advertisements or flaws in senior healthcare, older people encounter several barriers to living comfortably independent lives.
As of 2019, about 16 percent of the American population is 65 years or older — a percentage expected to rise significantly by 2050. While it’s often believed that retired people may reside in nursing homes in their golden years, only about five percent of adults age 65 or older actually do. The rest of society’s elders live among the rest of the community. Many senior citizens thrive within their communities, and some never even retire. As for elders with special needs, or retired individuals living on meager life savings, many rely on government services, which may or may not meet their needs. So, what are some of the obstacles affecting our oldest populations? Here are a few variables to consider.
The nature of getting older
Who is a senior citizen? Well, the answer isn’t as concrete as you might think. The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), an organization aimed towards senior citizens, is still dedicated to people 50 and over. However, culturally speaking, 50 years old today is more likely to be described as middle-aged. Currently, most of Western culture describes the onset of old age as either 60 or 65, as that is when people typically retire or become eligible for assistance programs.
With aging comes more life experience, wisdom, and bonds. But it also comes with its own set of potential bodily changes. Everyone ages differently, but health professionals highlight some notable effects of aging all people should keep in mind. Aging may affect heart health, your bladder and urinary tract, and your digestive system. Elders report having less energy and agility than younger people. Senses may become less sensitive, and some elders even become shorter due to bones shrinking in density and size. This phenomenon can also lead to more frailty in movement or, in more severe cases, susceptibility to fractures. Doctors typically promote practicing heightened brain stimulation to counter possible declines in memory and thinking. Not all senior citizens experience memory issues. However, senior citizens are more susceptible to diseases like dementia and Alzheimer's than younger people.
How ageism affects senior citizens
Though we hope to live long and healthy lives, aging and the elderly are still a grave matter of contention worldwide. So much so, the United Nations recently called for urgent action against globalized ageism. Ageism is a type of discrimination, prejudice, or stereotyping based on someone’s age, and unlike other forms of discrimination, anyone, regardless of their background, can experience it.
Here are two notable ways ageism can affect the elderly and senior citizens:
Institutionalized ageism
Institutionalized ageism is perpetuated through policies and institutions in society. It is commonly found in healthcare systems. Furthermore, a systematic review including nearly 150 healthcare studies showed that about 85% of all medical procedures or treatments are based solely on age-based assumptions. A 2017 study found that ageism leads to less care and attention to elderly patients. Current healthcare research shows that due to ageism, there’s even a new, patronizing term used to communicate with elderly patients called elderspeak.
Sometimes, institutional ageism is successfully blocked through specific laws, like the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), which prohibits age discrimination against people age 40 or older. However, the following type of ageism may lead to inherent biases of which individuals may not even be aware.
Interpersonal ageism
Interpersonal ageism or everyday ageism is found in daily interactions with other people. It can look like invalidating someone’s opinion due to their age or infantilizing an older person to imply they are incapable of independent choices and actions. Everyday ageism can also look like telling someone they look good but only “for their age.” While such a compliment may seem harmless, it inadvertently reinforces stereotypes that senior citizens are undesirable or unwanted.
The media helps to reflect such bias. A United Kingdom survey of 50,000 people over 50 showed what only 25% of them felt genuinely represented by mainstream advertisements. AARP’s report on ageism in media finds that even though the U.S. comprises more than one-third of people over 50, only 15 percent of media images include them. And sometimes, when older people are included in media, it reaffirms stigma, like with anti-aging ads or TV shows featuring elderly parents or relatives as “burdens” to their family.
While ageism can affect people young and old, the bulk of the burden seems to fall on older people. A 2020 United States poll on healthy aging found that 82% of Americans over 50 experience some form of ageism regularly. And the effects of ageism are stark. Of those experiencing ageism, an estimated 6.3 million cases of depression are estimated to be attributable precisely because of it.
A dignified societal approach to aging
The world is aging. By 2030, 1 in 6 people will be over the age of 60. It is up to everyone to make the future a more accessible and welcoming space for the elderly. The United Nations declared 2021–2030 the Decade of Healthy Ageing. It’s a global initiative meant to galvanize positive change in how we all view and treat our seniors. Ageism essentially affects us all, and the sooner we value older adults and combat the effects of ageism, the sooner we can also appreciate the wisdom and benefits of older age.
As the Director-General of the World Health Organization, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated, “[We hope not only] add years to life, but also life to years.”
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