age·ism - noun
“prejudice or discrimination on the grounds of a person's age:”
We have been hearing a lot about ageism recently due to the ages of the two presidential candidates. So, I thought I should study this noun to be sure I understood what the fuss is all about.
"According to Kimberly Palmer, writing for AARP, “Age discrimination is real. Two out of three workers between ages 45 and 74 say they have seen or experienced age discrimination at work, and job seekers over age 35 cite it as a top obstacle to getting hired. And if you happen to work in the high-tech or entertainment industries, your chances of experiencing age discrimination are even higher.”
According to The World Health Organization (WHO), "Age is one of the first things we notice about other people. However, age is often used to categorize and divide people in ways that lead to harm, disadvantage and injustice and erode solidarity across generations."
This is ageism: the stereotypes (how we think), prejudice (how we feel) and discrimination (how we act) towards others or ourselves based on age.”
For some reason, ageism is not a barrier I have come up against. When the senior housing company I worked for in Texas was sold, I was immediately recruited by a home health company. I was 65 at the time. When I retired for the first time and returned to California, I went to work for a senior center part-time and home health agency until I was 75.
When I retired again after moving back to Washington, I was recruited to write this column at the age of 77.
Others are not so fortunate.
Loss of, or the diminishing of vision and hearing, are often associated with aging, as is memory loss. None of these are true for all of the older population.
We may see and hear just fine, thank you, even if we do wear glasses or hearing aids. As for memory loss, dementia is a possibility for some of us and can begin while in our forties.
Some memory loss can also be, in my humble opinion, due to the fact that we have stored so many memories during our 60, 70, 80+ years on this planet, that even a computer would have trouble sorting it all out.
There are many diseases that take their toll on the human body at any age – even from birth. So why do we associate certain ones with age?
Michael J. Fox was still considered to be in his prime when he was diagnosed with Parkinsons. Hele Keller was born deaf and blind. Mother Teresa, the Noble Prize Winning Nun, served the poor until she died in the Calcutta Headquarters of her Missionaries of Charity at the age of 87.
These are just a few of the examples of individuals that have faced health and personal hardships and yet inspired us with their strength, courage, and faith in humanity. They made a difference and so can most of us, each in our own way.
Grandparents all over the world are raising grandchildren in a world that has changed dramatically from the one in which they raised their own families, dealing with ever-changing technology, new math, and God only knows what else.
Ageism can rear its head in many different settings. When my children were young and I took them to the doctor, he/she spoke to me about their health issues and solutions.
Today, if my children take me to the doctor, more often than not, he/she speaks to them about my health issues, right in front of me, but not to me.
A perfect example was when I was in the hospital last year. My daughters made sure one of them was with me when the doctor made his rounds.
Each visit went like this :
Doctor: Do you think you are ready to go home today?
Me: Yes, I think I’m ready.
Doctor: Looks at daughter…
Daughter: Shakes her head, no.
Doctor: Let’s give it another day.
Ageism.
On my last day there, he noticed my computer was open on the desk. “Are you working?” he asked. I explained I wrote for The JOLT and had a column due the next day. He practically danced for joy. “That is amazing!” he actually shouted. “That is wonderful.”
I immediately wondered if he had ever asked any of his other older patients the same question. Probably not.
We don’t go to the doctor unless we have a problem. We don’t drop in for a cup of tea or to catch up on the newest stats for the latest disease. So, they rarely, if ever, see us at our best.
Too bad, Docs… you don’t know what you’re missing… and neither does anyone else silly enough to glance at a head of silver hair and think we are done.
Kathleen Anderson writes this column each week from her home in Olympia. Contact her at kathleen@theJOLTnews.com or post your comment below.
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mleden67
I very much appreciate this, thank you.
Wednesday, March 20 Report this
OlyGuy
Life of a white boomer...you poor thing.
Thursday, March 21 Report this
olyhiker
It's not just job discrimination. It happens in many ways. For example, my friends and I enter races . Many, if not most, race directors think everyone over 70 should grouped together. Now other, younger, participants are in 5-year age groups or 10-year age groups depending on the race. There is a vast difference between people over 70 to say age 90 or more. Every year after 60 you lose proportionately more speed and ability. Race directors need to clean up their act.
Thursday, March 21 Report this
KellyOReilly
Thanks for writing on this important topic, Kathleen. I'm retired now, but I was certainly aware of ageism during my career as a biologist for Calif. Dept. of Fish & Game. For example, I waited until I had advanced as far as I wanted to in management before I stopped coloring my hair and let it go grey. And a funny thing happened after that: The man who had interviewed me for that job, took me aside and said in an angry hiss, "I can't believe you're that old!" I smiled to myself thinking, ageism is alive and well. Had I actually been younger, I don't believe I could have handled the responsibility of that job which I held for 14 years. As some of us know, life experience and maturity are valuable!
Thursday, March 21 Report this
BobJacobs
It has been distressing to witness the overt ageism directed at our President.
Let's look at people's abilities rather than their ages. Many really old people are sharp and productive. And many younger people are less so.
True, the President has some mobility and speech issues. But he has accomplished far more than most of his predecessors, and with a difficult congress.
Bob Jacobs
Thursday, March 21 Report this
GinnyAnn
When was searching for jobs in my 50's and 60's, I was told I was "over-qualified." That's legalese for "too old." I was ready to take any job at all just to work. But nobody wanted to hire me once I walked in with white hair. I dyed my hair brown and found a job. I was the same person with the same resume, but didn't look as old as I did before.
Friday, March 22 Report this
Terrilovesanimals
Maybe there wouldn't be any job discrimination if we didn't list our age (most resumes don't) and interviews were held via some method where they could hear our voice and know how smart we are and not see our age or color!
Friday, March 22 Report this