Social and Cultural
1. Ageism and Stereotypes
a. Ageism: prejudicial attitudes and policies used to oppress elderly people, old age, and the aging process; discriminatory practices against older people; and institutional practices and policies that perpetuate stereotypes about older people
b. Examples: being excluded from opportunities for being “too old”; denying seniors their sexuality; assuming their mental capabilities are limited to non-existent; receiving inadequate medical care
c. Ageism robs seniors of choice, independence, dignity, and negatively impacts their quality of life. It ignores their humanity and focuses on their age and what elderly people are perceived to be.
d. Positive prejudice: over compassion for the elderly leads people to believe that they cannot care for themselves and always needs help; over helping to the point where they take an elderly person’s agency away.
e. Stereotypes: Ageism, prejudice, and stereotypes are based on the belief that elderly people cannot care for themselves. Society focuses on their lives coming to an end.
2. Social Concerns
a. Health care: Elderly people face institutional barriers and obstacles within the healthcare industry: increase in care expenditures and an increase in people with multiple chronic conditions; lowered income, gap in coverage or being underinsured; lack of access to medication
b. Homelessness: Among older populations, people ages 50 - 64 experience homelessness at high rates. As they age, the 65 and up bracket will see increases in homelessness. Reasons: there is an increase in elderly population against limited resources: poverty/loss of job, lack of affordable senior living, mental and physical health problems, relationship breakdown/death of loved ones, caretakers can no longer care for them
c. Family Caregiving: The family can become the primary source of care when an elderly person finds they need support in their day-to-day needs. However, changing trends in American society will affect how and if family members can care for their loved ones: increased mobility of families, sandwich generation, financial strain, extra responsibility leads to burnout
d. Elder abuse: Elder abuse can be defined as "a single, or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust which causes harm or distress to an older person". Elder abuse can take various forms such as physical, psychological or emotional, sexual and financial abuse. It can also be the result of intentional or unintentional neglect. Statistics: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs357/en/
3. Organizations and Movements
a. AARP: non-profit organization that advocates for people 50 and over; it provides resources on and connections to healthcare, employment, and recreation
b. OASIS: another NPO for people 50 and over; their mission is to promote successful ageing through a three-fold approach: life-long learning, healthy living and social engagement
c. International Day of Older Persons: October 1; celebrate our older neighbors and recognize both the issues they face and the achievements they have made
d. Older Americans Month: during May; month-long recognition of elderly people
4. Cultural Views
a. Discourse of how elderly people are treated usually revolves around a Western-Eastern dichotomy. Western cultures value youthfulness over being elderly, and the elderly are routinely mistreated and ignored. Eastern cultures value their elderly highly, and their children are taught to respect them.
b. Alaskan Natives: Eldership – important characteristics for becoming a respected elder: emotional well-being, community engagement, spirituality, physical health - cultural convention that distinguishes those elders who have lived traditionally and continue to serve as an integral part of their community and are viewed as role models
c. Sweden: ranked as the best country for elderly people; invests more of its GDP in its elderly than any other in the world; life expectancy is the highest in the world; most continue to live in own homes – they can receive home-help services when their ability to care for themselves declines; the elderly and disabled can also receive transportation services in specially adapted vehicles
d. Korea: filial piety: Confucian idea that people must respect their elders, parents, and ancestors; Hwangab – celebration of 60th birthday; kohCui – celebration of 70th birthday
e. African American: Elderly African Americans are more likely to live with their extended family, providing them with a support system; they are usually close their churches, which can also provide support and connections to community resources; death is seen as a natural part of life, which can lessen the fear around aging; funerals tend to be life affirming
f. Sub-Saharan Africa: main source of support is usually the family, supplemented by kinship networks and mutual aid societies; they have been traditionally been viewed as sources of information and wisdom; the AIDS pandemic can rob elderly parents of their children, leaving them without a valuable resource of care and with grandchildren to look after
5. Recreation and Socialization: seniors do not slow down or stop living once they retire; they continue to live their lives and find new ways to spend their time
a. Clubs and organizations: spend time enjoying what they like, maintain social circles and connections, keep loneliness away
b. Travel: more time to travel
c. Physical activity: to keep body and mind healthy
d. Volunteering: want to use what they’ve learned in life to give back to their communities, decreases chance of mental and physical issues, prevents isolation and loneliness
e. Working: need money to pay for living expenses, health care, want to continue doing what they love
6. Notable achievements late in life
a. 65: Colonel Harland Sanders founded KFC
b. 65: Laura Ingalls Wilder published first novel
c. 66: Frank McCourt published Angela’s Ashes
d. 69: Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada founded Hare Krishna movement
e. 69: Mother Teresa received Nobel Peace Prize
f. 73: Peter Roget published the first thesaurus
g. 75: Nelson Mandela became president of South Africa
h. 76: Anna Mary Robertson Moses created her first canvas
i. 80: George Burns and Jessica Tandy win Oscars
j. 85: Coco Chanel was the head of a design firm
