Combating Ageism: Spotting and Correcting Age-based Bias

Modern society is full of biases of all shapes and sizes. One that doesn’t get quite as much attention as it should is ageism. It’s a fact of life: we all grow older, and we shouldn’t be treated poorly because of it. This bias exists in both obvious and more subtle ways throughout society, and it’s time we address this problem. This article is all about Ageism Awareness: what it is, how to detect it, and how to deal with it. Let’s dive in.

What is Ageism?

The first step in combating ageism is to clearly define what we’re talking about. According to the American Society of Aging, “Ageism refers to stereotypes (how we think), prejudice (how we feel), and discrimination (how we act) toward others or ourselves based on age. It negatively impacts our health and well-being, our financial security, and the economy. It exists in many forms, influencing everything from personal interactions to public policy, and impacts us at every age.”

As a caregiver, ageism is something you will likely deal with in some capacity, whether it’s directly or indirectly, so it’s important to know how to handle it. It’s also easier than we’d like to think or admit to committing ageism ourselves, whether against ourselves or others around us.

Let’s get into how to recognize the signs.

Signs of Ageism

Now that you have a better idea of what ageism is, the next step in combating it is honing your ability to spot the signs that it’s happening to or around you. Ageism can take place in many forms, but here are some of the most common signs to look for:

Exclusion

This is any instance of not allowing someone to participate in normal activities (i.e., activities that pose no threat of harm) due to age. This can be a harder sign to recognize because it’s the absence of something, not a direct comment or action. But the act of leaving a friend or family member out of an activity or conversation can be a sign of ageism all the same.

Harassment

This is one of the easiest forms to recognize, and unfortunately, it’s more common than we’d think. Harassment mainly happens in comments or jokes about a person’s age. The perpetrator may even mean it in a lighthearted/joking manner, but poking fun at a person’s actions/abilities due to age or making jokes related to it can feel offensive and have a negative impact. It can also be a sign of bias against the person the joke is about.

Belittling

Belittling is a tricky one to spot – especially if you’re the one doing it – because it’s often not intentional. Treating someone who is older like a child or like they are incompetent due to their age or weakening frame is belittling.

The key here is to offer help when it’s needed or requested, not when you think or assume it’s needed. For example, refusing to allow someone to help with a chore because they’re older, even if they have expressed desire and ability to carry out that chore, can easily become belittling.

Limiting Opportunities

Another form of ageism is to deny someone opportunities based on their age. This is like exclusion, but instead of simply avoiding/excluding you, they actively pass off opportunities to younger people or a person of a different age just because of their age.

Recognizing Ageism in Ourselves

Before we dive into dealing with ageism, let’s touch on how to recognize ageism in our own behaviors. Acting on a bias is rarely a conscious effort, so taking the time to recognize it in ourselves will help us do our part in ridding the world of the behavior for good.

Here are a few things to look for:

Biased tone When speaking, it’s important to be conscious of the words and tone of voice/inflections you use when discussing topics related to age or aging. Make sure you are using appropriate terms and are being sensitive to people who are a different age than you. It’s also important to be aware of lighthearted comments about your own age (griping about how old you are, for example) in the presence of someone older.
Biased language When avoiding ageism, try to learn what terms may be disrespectful or insensitive to people of other ages. It’s important to realize that even if you don’t mean to express ageism, the words you choose can have an impact on someone else.

Stereotyping It’s important to learn if you have assumptions on age and reflect on how your own assumptions can impact others. Think of your knee-jerk/gut reactions about the older adults in your life and consider how those filter through your opinions.

Dealing with Ageism

Now that you know the signs of ageism and how to avoid it yourself, let’s look at how to deal with ageism if you are experiencing it or seeing it happen around you:

Speak up

If you or someone you care for is experiencing ageism, it’s important to speak up. Take a stand against it with constructive criticism (pointing out what you’re noticing it and how it affects you or your loved one with a request for better behavior next time). Don’t be afraid to make your opinion known – discriminating against someone because of their age is not ok.

It’s very common that the person pushing the ageism is unaware of what they are doing – it is usually a subconscious bias – so speaking up can bring light to the situation and help prevent it from reoccurring.

Inclusion

If the person you care for seems to be excluded from conversations or activities, be the change you want to see. Take a moment to invite them and make them feel a part of the conversation, whether it’s a personal one with other members of your family, or a medical one with doctors.

If a medical professional or family member seems to keep leaving them out, make sure you don’t let them.

Focus on the Positives

If the person you are caring for feels down or lesser than due to their age, it’s important to help them redirect and focus on the positives. No one wants to feel old, but age has a lot of benefits too: they have experience, knowledge, wisdom, and more (like retirement, for example). For some, it’s helpful to try to find the positives that come with old age and pass them along.

Closing Thoughts on Combating Ageism

Ageism is a prevalent bias, but that doesn’t mean it’s always easy to spot. It easily hides in the shadows where we least expect it to. To fight it, we need to understand it, anticipate the signs, and help to make the changes you want to see.

If you’re providing care for a loved one and want to talk to someone about it, the California Caregiver Resource Centers are here to support you. We are a non-profit network of 11 Centers that support caregivers across the state of California. Every county in the state is covered.