Ageism

Insulted, ignored, invisible: the rampant "ism" affecting our senior generation

"From the age of 50 you become less visible and people don't engage with you in the same way," said Lesley. "You get ignored and overlooked. If you're in a wheelchair it's worse. People seem to think anyone in a wheelchair cannot speak for themselves." The Senior Sept 2023

Ageism ‘rampant’ says advocate
Australian Ageing Agenda October 10, 2023

Age Discrimination Commissioner calls for a Convention on the Rights of Older Persons
May 2024 Commissioner Fitzgerald today officially backed the development of a UN Convention, saying the time has come for Australia and the world to better safeguard the rights of older people.

I don’t think we can win any fight for better aged care unless we address ageism. We are just treated as disfunctional oldies by younger people .
Yesterday I went to an optometrist as my eyesight had deteriorated overnight. The optometrist persisted in speaking to the person who drove me there , I was hardly visible to her. I spoke up, reminded her I was her client and to address me as such. She just never grasped the concept even though the driver told her she knew nothing about me. It turned out to be an emergency referral to my eye specialist. She still asked the driver who the specialist was and asked the driver for her mobile number. Even after being told again to address me she tried to give the paperwork to the driver.

We went for a coffee while waiting for the specialist to reply to the request for an immediate appointment. The only seating suitable and safe for me was in the back of the coffee shop. My driver was told I couldn’t sit there as they wanted to wash the floor.. Again I wasn’t spoken to directly. I insisted on sitting where it suited me. There was a rude comment made about funny old ladies at the counter.

Then at the doctors offices the nurse spoke only to the driver insisting the driver was my daughter and even when corrected kept directing her instruction to the driver.

I went only to three places yesterday and three out of three were disrespectfully ageist . I experience this every time I go out. We need a campaign to stop this blatant ageist behaviour. L.F. April 2023

Most older people say they feel, and they are in fact disregarded and disrespected. We are made to feel like doddery old fools who don’t add any value to society, although we want to, we can, and we in fact do. We could do so much better as one of the luckiest countries on earth, by learning and acknowledging that other countries around the world and our First Nation and indigenous communities know how to respect and value their elders. How much better off would we be in Australia if we followed their example?

We need to keep fighting, keep battling and not give up. We are the ones who are being given the opportunity to get it right, for now and future generations. what we say is not being taken seriously. There are people who think they know best and that they are more important than others, which undermines our efforts to fix the problems we all encounter as older people having to deal with a flawed system. Many firmly believe they should speak for us instead of with us and make decisions about us. They are not really listening; they say they are consulting us; whilst they’re really using us as tokens to demonstrate that we participate in the decision-making process, but that’s just to address the requirements and to placate us! M.O.

Our Stories

One of the reasons I stopped my association with nursing homes was because it infuriated me to hear staff talking to clients like they were children. Totally disrespectful, and moreso when the clients have no cognitive issues. M.K.

They don't even realise they are doing it let alone know what it means. Maybe that should be taught in schools. Manners, patience, listening without butting in, respect and so many more. My best friend's grown children (in their 30s) say to their mother they are equal to her as they are adults and don't need to respect her. J.D.

My point is that need to do more than deal with this individually. Ageism is entirely what stands in the way of us being heard by the government. It allows them to treat us like imbeciles and limit our involvement in policy. L.F.

Support Workers need to be trained to recognise individual boundaries their clients expect. I also found it quite condescending and patronising when some thought they had to tell me what I need and want, instead of following my wishes and instructions even if written in the shift notes. I don’t like a stranger to come into my living space and take over no matter how well meaning. I had one fellow who felt compelled to hug me as soon as he came into my home, a woman who had to educate me about my nutritional needs, when I’ve lived with my several health conditions for years, and know damn well what suits me best. M.O.

Age-related discrimination against individuals over the age of fifty persists as an alarming societal issue, primarily manifesting within government organisations and other entities that depend on governmental funding. This prevailing bias relegates a significant portion of the population to marginalisation and unequal treatment solely based on their age.

One of the most recent instances of this discriminatory trend emerges from the proposal put forth by our esteemed Minister of Aged Care. Shockingly, the minister has stated that only Indigenous elderly individuals should receive financial support and guidance when navigating the complex aged care system. This proposition not only perpetuates age-related discrimination but also introduces an additional layer of injustice by selectively favoring a specific demographic group. All citizens require this assistance!

By singling out Indigenous elderly individuals for exclusive assistance, the minister's proposal implicitly endorses the notion that age-related discrimination is acceptable and justifiable in certain circumstances. This viewpoint not only undermines the fundamental principles of equality and fairness but also disregards the universal right of every individual, regardless of their ethnic background, to be treated with dignity and respect.

Furthermore, the fact that government organisations, which are meant to uphold the principles of impartiality and equal treatment for all citizens, are perpetuating such discriminatory practices is deeply concerning. It underscores the urgent need for comprehensive policies and measures to address age-related discrimination across various sectors, particularly those supported by government funding.

Efforts should be directed towards fostering an inclusive and equitable society that values the contributions and experiences of individuals of all ages. This requires promoting awareness, implementing anti-discrimination legislation, and providing adequate resources to support initiatives aimed at combating age-related bias. L.D.

L.D. Thank you for your heartfelt and honest comment, and most of all your courage to express your opinion.

No doubt it will be met with some disagreement and criticism, which is expected nowadays when any discussion or debate of differing opinion gets invariably treated as daring to be politically motivated or incorrect.

Nevertheless, it’s not just a matter of agreeing or disagreeing with your comment, but the right of everyone to express their opinion freely as long as it doesn’t cause any harm, which in this case ìt absolutely doesn’t! M.O.

Call for ageism awareness training for workers
Australian Ageing Agenda 17th July 2023

Ageism awareness training changes workers’ mindsets
Community Care Review 19th July 2023

Resources for Ageism

Succession and Elder Law Conference
Queensland Law Society 11th November 2022

"Elder abuse often starts with ‘benevolent ageism’; where attitudes tip the scales towards protection and away from respect for an older person’s independence and autonomy. "

Ageism and Discrimination
COTA Australia

"Ageist attitudes in the community mean that older people are perceived to be less deserving or, alternatively, are incapacitated and in need of protection. Ageism is discrimination based on age, without any evidence base, and is especially prejudicial and detrimental to the very old (often called “the elderly”. In this context, ageism is the inability or refusal to recognise the rights, needs, dignity continuing contributions, and value of people in an older age group. More widely, ageism also denotes the devaluing of various traits of character or intelligence as ‘typical’ of the members of the older age group."

Senior's Rights
"Stereotypes fail to recognise the rights, needs, dignity and valuable contribution of older people in our community and translate into ageist actions. Experiences of ageism often affect older people’s mental and physical well-being and therefore their quality of life."

Guiding action on elder abuse

If you or someone you know needs help tackling elder abuse, start here, on Compass.

Need information or advice on elder abuse now?
CALL 1800 ELDERHelp (1800 353 374)

In an emergency call 000

This free number will redirect you to an existing phone service near you. This is not a 24-hour line. Call operating times will vary. A collaboration between the Australian, state and territory governments.

Taking Care of Elders
SBS Voices 17.2.23

Is dressing up as older people ageist?
Hello Care 2nd November 2023