1. It’s Time to Reframe Aging and Combat Ageism
Emily Long, MPH
Tennessee Commission on Aging and Disability

2. Agenda What is ageism? (4 types) Implications Recent research
Interventions to combat ageism

3. What is Ageism?
Introduced by Butler (1969)
“Ageism reflects a deep-seated uneasiness on the part of young and middle-aged--a personal revulsion and distaste for growing old, disease, disability, and fear of powerlessness, “uselessness”, and death”
2017
“Prejudice or discrimination on the basis of a person's age”

4. Implicit Bias Social stereotypes Form outside conscious awareness
Modeled by others (family, peers, media)
Reinforce stereotypes
Examples
Depressed, “set in their ways,” feeble, lonely, patriotic, grouchy, nosy, forgetful, slow, unattractive, need help from others,

5. Video

6. Four types of ageism

7. 1. Personal Ageism Ideas, attitudes, beliefs, and practices Examples
Exclusion based on stereotypes
Physical/Financial abuse
Stereotypes
Elderspeak (honey, sweetie, higher pitch)

8. 1. Personal Ageism

9. 2. Institutional Ageism Examples Missions, rules, and practices
Mandatory retirement
Devaluing of older persons in cost-benefit analysis
Absence of older persons in clinical trials

10. 2. Institutional Ageism 19% of breast cancer patients are 75+
4% of clinical trial participants
33% of colon cancer patients are 75+
8% of clinical trial participants

11. 3. Intentional Ageism Examples:
Carried out with the knowledge that they are biased
Includes taking advantage of vulnerabilities
Examples:
Targeting older workers in financial scams
Denial of job training based upon age

12. 3. Intentional Ageism

13. 4. Unintentional Ageism
Carried out without the perpetrator’s awareness
Includes “Absence of procedures”
Examples
Lack of built-environment considerations (ramps, elevators, handrails)
Lack of emergency preparedness
Language used in the media

14. 4. Unintentional Ageism
Associated Press

15. Implications
Systematic and Individual Levels

16. Implications - Systematic
Risk of inaction at policy level
Rollbacks of existing supports
Older may adults become targets

17. Implications - Individual
Older adults with positive perceptions of aging
live 7 years longer
44% more likely to recover from severe disability
Experiences of Ageism
Increase risk of depression
Affect cognitive performance
Affect when a person will seek medical assistance

18. Recent Research

19. Recent Research Reframing Aging Initiative FrameWorks Institute
Years long study
Multi-method
Many experts
More than 10,000 adults

20. Gaps in Understanding

21. How can we combat ageism?

22. How can we combat ageism?
Recognize ageism
Redefine the unacceptable
Use effective Communication

23. Redefine the unacceptable
Ageism is the last “acceptable prejudice”
It is up to us to make ageism unacceptable

24. EFFECTIVE communication
The way we have been communicating is not working
Terms like “silver tsunami” have been around since at least the 1980’s
Still gaps in knowledge
Use evidence-based communication strategies

25. Communication – “DON’T”s
DON’T lead with story of demographic shift
NO “silver tsunami”
NO “gray wave”
NO “rapidly increasing older population”
DON’T talk about aging as “civil rights issue”
Leads to comparing ageism to racism or sexism, and concluding age discrimination couldn’t possibly be as bad
Narrows definition to things addressed through litigation

26. Communication – “DON’T”s
DON’T use language that refers to older people as “other”
Pronouns (we/us NOT they/them)
Phrasing can imply aging happens to someone else (“what older people need”)
Look for inclusive wording (“when we’re older”)

27. Communication – “DON’T”s
DON’T overdo the positivity
Portraits of extraordinary older people are understood as the exceptions that prove the rule
DON’T use individual-level examples
Focus on environmental, societal, policy level

28. Communication – “DO”s 1. DO Name & Define Ageism
2. DO Offer Examples of Ageism
3. DO Explain Implicit Bias
We are all exposed to negative messages about older people, so our brains are wired to form judgments about people based on their age

29. Communication – “DO”s DO use metaphor of Building Momentum
Aging is a continuous process
Aging involves social, emotional, and cognitive growth
Older adults are a resource for communities
It would be a shame to miss out on this momentum

30. Age equality? What would that even look like?

31. What could this look like?
Fair Practices
Inclusion
Reduced stereotypes
Increased, more accurate representation in media
CHANGE

32. QUESTIONS?

33. Emily Long 615-741-1428 Emily.Long@tn.gov

34. References and Resources
Ageism in America.
FrameWorks Institute- Aging.
Experiences of ageism and the mental health of older adults.
Lyons A, Alba B, Heywood W, Fileborn B, Minichiello V, Barrett C, Hinchliff S, Malta S, Dow B. Aging Ment Health Aug 10:1-9. doi: /
“Stereotypes of Aging: Their Effects on the Health of Older Adults,” Rylee A. Dionigi, Journal of Geriatrics, vol. 2015, Article ID , 9 pages, doi: /2015/954027