2. Institutional Ageism
Higher federal poverty standards
Job training for young workers
State welfare funds for children & adolescents
Health care system focus on acute care
3. Myths about aging
1. The majority of older adults will become senile
(defective memory, disoriented, demented) during
old age.
2. Most older adults have no desire or capacity for
sexual relations. In other words, most older adults
are asexual.
3. Most older adults have difficulty adapting to change;
they are set in their ways.
4. Myths about aging
4. The majority of older adults say that they are lonely
5. Older people tend to become more religious as they
age; as they deal with their own mortality
7. Elder Abuse
Between 1 and 3 million Americans aged 65+ have
been mistreated by a caregiver
1 out of 6 incidents of abuse is reported
Only 21 states maintain an elder abuse registry
5 million older Americans are victims of financial
exploitation each year
Ageism in America: The Status Reports (2006)
8. Ageism in Health Care
Lack of preventive care
Lack of effective treatment provision
Lack of adequate health research
Lack of training
9. Ageism in Nursing Homes
9 out of 10 nursing homes are inadequately staffed
Over half of the 17,000 nursing homes in the US fail to
meet minimum standards, but only .5% are cited and
penalized for patterns of widespread problems that
cause harm to residents
10. Ageism in Emergency Services
60% of Hurricane Katrina’s victims were over age 60
About 80% of the individuals who die of heat-wave
related hyperthermia each year are over age 50
11. Ageism in the Workplace
2004 EEOC ruling
To improve job prospects, 63% of applicants say they
would leave dates off their resume to hide their age,
and 18% say they would undergo cosmetic surgery
12. Ageism in the Media
Less than 2% of prime-time television characters are
age 65 or older
Ageist Gender Inequality
11% of male characters on tv between 50 and 64 are
categorized as “old” verses 22% of female characters
Only 1/3 of older characters on prime time tv are women
Notes de l'éditeur
Process of systematic stereotyping and discrimination against individuals based on age