Our mission is to inspire and empower older adults to age well through community connection, learning and play. Programs and services are for adults 60+ and their caregivers.
Ageism Awareness Day is October 7
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On Ageism Awareness Day, the American Society on Aging encourages us to combat ageism and reframe how we talk about aging. Ageism is the stereotypes (how we think), prejudice (how we feel), and discrimination (how we act) towards others or oneself based on age. Ageism limits opportunities, affects health and well-being, and can impact us financially.
A few examples of ageism include:
- Internalized ageism: How we feel about ourselves as aging people, and ageism in which older adults marginalize and discriminate against other older people.
- Cultural ageism: The everyday, invisible, profoundly ingrained and normalized negative messages about aging and old people embedded in movies, TV, songs, jokes, etc.
- Implicit ageism: The unconscious bias that includes attitudes, feelings and behaviors toward people of other age groups that operates without conscious awareness or intention.
- Benevolent ageism: Patronizing, paternalistic beliefs or behaviors that older people need to be protected and taken care of by younger people because they are no longer able to make decisions for themselves.
We invite you to take time on October 7 to think about how ageism affects you or someone you know and to lean into challenging negative beliefs based on age. “We live in an aging society, which is a wonderful, remarkable thing. But too many of us view aging with fear, denial and even hostility. We are all growing older. We can’t afford to limit ourselves and other people with such negative and harmful views, and why would we want to? Let’s lean into the opportunities, diversity and full range of experiences that come with aging.” Leanne Clark-Shirley, ASA Interim President & CEO.