Understanding the different types of ageism
Ageism, or prejudice based on age, can affect both older and younger individuals. It is critical to recognize that it is not a monolith but rather a complex issue with various manifestations. The most common distinctions include institutional, interpersonal, and self-directed ageism.
Institutional ageism refers to the policies, practices, and norms within institutions that systematically discriminate based on age. Examples range from mandatory retirement ages to biased hiring practices that favor younger candidates over more experienced ones. During the COVID-19 pandemic, some crisis standards of care that prioritized younger patients for scarce resources like ventilators were another explicit example.
Interpersonal ageism happens in everyday interactions between individuals. It can be overt, like age-based harassment or mockery, but is often more subtle, such as making condescending remarks or excluding someone from social activities. This form of ageism can manifest in different age groups, like an older person dismissing a younger colleague's ideas as "rookie optimism".
Self-directed ageism occurs when an individual internalizes negative societal attitudes about aging. This can lead to self-doubt, diminished self-worth, and a negative perception of one's own aging process. For example, a person might blame a memory lapse on "getting old" rather than normal human fallibility.
Ageism in the workplace
Workplace discrimination is one of the most prominent examples of ageism. It can severely impact an individual's financial stability, career progression, and mental health. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) of 1967 protects employees over the age of 40, but discriminatory practices often continue, sometimes subtly.
Common ageist actions in the workplace include:
- Hiring and promotion bias: Overlooking older candidates for promotions or new hires, assuming they are less adaptable or technologically proficient. This can also affect younger workers who are unfairly dismissed as being inexperienced or unreliable.
- Limited training opportunities: Companies investing less in training older employees, under the assumption that they will retire soon or are not worth the investment. This starves employees of new skills and stifles their career growth.
- Forced or encouraged retirement: Pressuring older employees to retire by reassigning their roles, giving them less challenging tasks, or creating a hostile work environment. In some cases, a company may rebrand a role and then hire a younger employee to do the same job under a new title.
- Exclusion: Deliberately excluding employees from meetings, social activities, or decision-making processes based on their age. This marginalization can make an employee feel undervalued and disengaged.
Ageism in healthcare
Healthcare settings are another area where ageism, sometimes unconsciously, impacts patients' well-being and quality of care. For older adults, ageist attitudes from providers can lead to misdiagnosis, undertreatment, and poorer health outcomes.
Key actions reflecting ageism in healthcare include:
- Using "elderspeak": Healthcare professionals using a condescending, patronizing tone—often called "elderspeak"—with older patients. This infantilizing language, such as saying "Let's go potty, sweetie," is disrespectful and can undermine a patient's autonomy and dignity.
- Dismissing symptoms as normal aging: Attributing treatable symptoms like pain, fatigue, or depression to "just old age" rather than investigating and treating the underlying condition. This leads to undertreatment and worsening health problems.
- Excluding from clinical trials: Older adults have been historically underrepresented in medical research and clinical trials, leading to a lack of evidence for effective treatments in this population.
- Biased communication: Ignoring the older patient and directing questions and information to a younger family member or caregiver, assuming the patient cannot understand or make their own decisions.
A comparison of ageism scenarios
Ageism's manifestations vary widely. The following table contrasts a few common scenarios to highlight the differences in context and impact.
| Scenario | Type of Ageism | Ageist Action | Impact | How to Counter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Workplace | Institutional, Interpersonal | A company frequently promotes younger employees with less experience over qualified older staff. | Reduces career opportunities and demoralizes experienced staff. | Advocate for inclusive hiring policies and performance-based promotions. |
| Healthcare | Interpersonal, Institutional | A doctor dismisses an older patient's complaint of chronic pain, saying it's a normal part of aging. | Leads to untreated medical conditions and distrust in the healthcare system. | Seek a second opinion and advocate for patient-centered care that addresses all symptoms, regardless of age. |
| Social Settings | Interpersonal, Self-directed | A younger family member takes over an older relative's finances without permission, assuming they are no longer capable. | Undermines the individual's autonomy and can lead to financial abuse. | Clearly communicate boundaries and insist on maintaining independence in financial decisions. |
| Media | Institutional, Societal | Commercials constantly depict aging as something to be feared or reversed. | Reinforces negative stereotypes, contributes to self-directed ageism. | Consume and support media that portrays older adults in diverse, positive, and realistic roles. |
| Personal | Self-directed | An older person stops pursuing hobbies, believing they are "too old" to learn something new. | Limits personal growth, lowers self-esteem, and reinforces negative internal beliefs. | Challenge negative self-talk and embrace the benefits of lifelong learning and new experiences. |
Addressing and challenging ageism
Combating ageism requires a multi-pronged approach that targets biases at individual, institutional, and societal levels. Challenging our own assumptions is a powerful first step.
Practical strategies
- Educate yourself and others: Learning about the realities of aging and the diversity of older adults can help dismantle stereotypes. Share resources and have open conversations about ageist language and behaviors.
- Speak up: When you witness or experience ageist behavior, respectfully call it out. This could be challenging a demeaning joke or correcting an assumption made about someone's capabilities based on their age.
- Promote intergenerational connections: Creating opportunities for people of different age groups to interact fosters mutual understanding and respect. Intergenerational mentorship programs in the workplace are one example.
- Support age-inclusive policies: Advocate for and support legislation and corporate policies that protect against age discrimination in employment and healthcare.
- Change your language: Be mindful of the words you use. Avoid disparaging euphemisms like "of a certain age" or referring to an older person's accomplishments with the adverb "still," which implies their age makes their actions remarkable. Use person-first language, such as "person living with dementia" instead of "dementia sufferer".
Conclusion: Fostering an age-inclusive society
Ageism is a deeply ingrained issue with harmful effects on physical, mental, and financial well-being. By recognizing and actively opposing ageist actions, we can work toward a more equitable and respectful society for people of all ages. Addressing age discrimination in healthcare and the workplace is especially vital, as these areas have some of the most significant impacts on individuals' quality of life. The fight against ageism requires continuous effort, from challenging personal biases to advocating for systemic change, but the benefits of an age-inclusive world are invaluable for everyone.
For more on how ageism affects healthcare, visit the World Health Organization's website for their Global report on ageism: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240016866.
