In our society, what are some ways of discrimination seniors might encounter? Can you give a few examples?
Ageism is prejudice or discrimination toward people based on their age. It typically refers to older people, but it can also affect young adults. It harms physical and mental health, and some studies associate it with earlier death.
There are many ways to describe ageism. Terms that define where ageism takes place include:
• Institutional ageism, which happens when an institution maintains ageism through its actions and policies
• Interpersonal ageism, which happens through social interactions
• Internalized ageism, which is when a person embodies ageist ideas and applies them to themselves
Ageism can also change according to the situation. For example, hostile ageism means someone showing and acting on aggressive beliefs about age. By contrast, benevolent ageism means someone having condescending views towards people based on their age, such as seniors are childlike and need supervision with basic tasks. It’s worth mentioning the difference between explicit and implicit ageism.
If a person is conscious of what they are doing, it’s called explicit ageism, and if they’re unaware of the meaning and consequences of their actions, we are dealing with the implicit kind.
Based on the 2020 National Poll on Healthy Aging, 82% of older Americans have stated that they experience ageism regularly. The survey also found: 65% have received ageist messages from the media, 45% have experienced interpersonal ageism 36% have internalized ageism.
Some examples of ageism in the workplace involve:
• Resisting to hire people over or under a specific age
• Asking someone’s age at a job interview when it’s irrelevant to the work
• Establishing policies that unjustly privilege one age group over another
• Seeing older people as out of touch, unproductive, or stubborn
• Calling younger people unskilled, irresponsible, or untrustworthy
• Bullying or harassing people because of their age.
Some examples that might accrue in personal relationships include:
• Treating elders as though they are invisible, uneducated, or expendable based on their age.
• Based on their age, they make ageist jokes that indicate someone is less valuable or less deserving of respect.
• Making insulting generalizations about a specific generation
• Dismissing someone’s concerns or wishes due to their age
• Taking advantage of someone’s age for personal profits, such as to make money
• Using someone’s age as grounds to undermine, deceive, or control them
Ageism can also lead to abuse. The WHO organization reports that in 2017, a review found that 1 in 6 above 60 has experienced elder abuse, including emotional, physical, sexual, or financial.
Losing a job due to your age
• Being refused some perks such as interest-free credit, a new credit card, car, or travel insurance because of your age
• Getting a lower quality of service in a shop or restaurant because of the organization’s approach to seniors
• Being denied a referral from a doctor to a consultant because you are ‘too old.’
• Being refused membership to a club or enterprise association because of your age.
• Age Discrimination in Job Adverts
• Hearing age-related insults or comments
Like all other kinds of discrimination, ageism can be found in all parts of one’s life and society. Seniors have encountered many situations, from their own houses to banks, hospitals, and insurance companies. Older adults may face discrimination in their relationships. In their family, they may be treated as having difficulty understanding or are invisible. Seniors may face harassment in their own families.
Outsprings may misbehave or even beat their parents and grandparents because of some ridiculous reasons. Seniors’ concerns may get ignored due to their age, and others may make jokes implying seniors are not worthy of respect. In the workplace, seniors may face a company that does not employ people over a certain age. The interviewee might want to know their age when it is not a qualification point.
Considering seniors as less productive, bullying them, and harassment at work can be other examples of discrimination in the workplace. Insurance companies may refuse to cover some expenses over a particular age. Banks may not be willing to provide a new credit card. And not receiving a standard service in a restaurant are all different kinds of discrimination seniors may witness in other places.
As people age, they might encounter many problems. Seniors’ greatest fear is losing their independence. They fear this more than death. But, unfortunately, because of old age, they might face the following:
• Ageism
• Not being employed in some jobs or losing a job because of old age might cause financial insecurity.
• Being refused a new credit card or car insurance
• Receiving lower quality of service in a shop or restaurant because of attitude to older people
• Disability Discrimination
• Most seniors face chronic diseases such as arthritis, hypertension, hearing impairment, etc. These problems may cause them to be treated less favourably than someone without a disability.