Modern society has very firm ideas about what getting older means and nearly all of those ideas are negative. There are so many different stereotypes surrounding older adults, including the idea that seniors are terrible drivers, need help crossing the road, are cranky all day, and couldn’t work a cell phone if their life depended on it.
With all of those stereotypes and perspectives, it isn’t surprising that older adults are often underestimated, especially when it comes to taking care of their own needs or being part of the workforce. In fact, many people assume that seniors are less capable than their younger counterparts in just about every way.
Now, more than ever, it’s time for us to take a step back and look at how we are viewing and treating seniors.
At present, the United States (as with much of the world) is experiencing a dramatic growth in the senior population. Some estimates even suggest that seniors may make up 20% of our population by 2030. At the same time, technology and healthcare continue to improve. Because of this, people tend to live longer and, in many cases, their health is also better than seniors have historically experienced.
Yet, despite all of this, we continue to view seniors using the same stereotypes and assumptions that we always have.
Not only are those assumptions often wrong – they’re also dangerous. By focusing on seniors as being weak and having little potential, we create a self-fulfilling prophecy. One reason for this is that the way we view seniors influences the way they view themselves, which in turn influences what they try to do.
At the same time, our assumptions of seniors make it difficult for them to succeed in the workplace, which is not fair or just.
It’s time to make a change.
The Issue of Ageism
Our assumptions about seniors often take the form of ageism. This is a discriminatory practice, much like racism, where people are treated based on one characteristic rather than their overall ability.
The practice of ageism in the workplace is prohibited because of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. However, this does not mean that ageism doesn’t occur in organizations throughout America. Indeed, around 20% of seniors employees in the United States have lost jobs in favor of younger colleges.
Likewise, in one survey, 64% of participants had seen or experienced some degree of age discrimination in the workplace, and in many cases, the discrimination happened more than once.
Like other forms of discrimination, ageism is extremely difficult to prevent entirely. For one thing, it is often difficult to identify when a decision was made on the basis of age versus another factor. Proving that ageism occurred is even more difficult, especially as there may be multiple factors involved in employment decisions.
For example, there is a range of approaches that employers can take that favor younger employees. These could include looking for recent qualifications (which seniors are unlikely to have), arguing that the company can no longer afford older employees as they will often have higher salaries or even claiming that senior employees are less productive.
To make matters worse, seniors have to be able to prove that ageism occurred to be able to fight against it. Doing this can be very difficult, especially in cases where the employer made sure that their actions did not appear as discrimination.
The issue of ageism isn’t just limited to the workplace.
Ageism also means that seniors often struggle to find work to begin with. In many cases, seniors find that they are rejected for most jobs they apply for. As with the workplace, it can often be difficult to identify when ageism is actually occurring and it is challenging for seniors to fight against it.
In some cases, the issues that seniors face with employment may be partly connected to a gap in their employment record or the fact that they do not have any recent qualifications. Those issues are difficult for seniors to resolve and give companies a chance to refuse employment without seeming to discriminate.
With all of these issues in place, it isn’t surprising that many seniors aren’t confident about their potential to find work. Indeed, many choose to take retirement early because they simply cannot find a job.
This practice has many long-term effects, especially as it means that seniors may face income problems later in life. Additionally, reforms to Social Security often focus on the idea of increasing the retirement age.
Perhaps the worst thing about this pattern is that seniors often are very capable in the workplace. In many cases, they may have had the job (or a similar job) for a long time, so they will have extensive experience. Additionally, seniors have had a lifetime of experiences, which gives them an advantage in many areas. At the same time, seniors can also be more reliable than younger employees, especially as they will be more likely to be loyal to a company.
Why You Should Care
For younger workers in their 20’s who think this doesn’t affect them, think again. You might need to open up space in your studio apartment for a parent who loses their job, or chip in for a retiree who’s on a fixed income. For those in their 30’s beginning to see the first signs of graying, careful about the precedent you set in the workplace and that thing we call ‘karma.’
Seniors are a valuable segment of the workforce. Indeed, the amount of experience that a senior has is often significant and this can prove a major advantage for businesses. As such, it is important for companies, and individuals, to shift away from the assumption that seniors are detrimental to the workplace. Instead, retraining and upskilling seniors can be an effective way to increase their productivity and take advantage of their skills and experience within the workplace.
Retraining may be essential, and older adults in the workforce are more apt to adopt new technologies, roles, and procedures than presumed. After all, seniors have a lifetime of experiences, which make them a powerful force.
Blue Zones and Healthy Aging
Ageism materializes in another unfortunate form. People may resign to the rocking chair and assume the frail role, instead of striving for healthy aging. Although people are living longer, they are living their older age in longer periods of disability, much of which can be prevented through active and healthy lifestyles.
Researchers have been studying the ‘blue zones’ for several decades to learn what contributes to longevity and healthy aging. These are regions with many members of the population reaching 100 years of age. It’s no surprise that seniors in these zones prescribe to healthy aging practices. Researchers have found that secrets to a long life include staying active (both mentally and physically), finding a sense of purpose, eating well and celebrating life.
These populations make it clear that seniors have a lot of potential. Furthermore, practices like ageism and discrimination also give seniors a negative opinion of themselves, which may make it more difficult for them to stay healthy as they age.
Some projects in society have attempted to nurture these practices, such as by promoting interaction between the younger and older generations, providing seniors the opportunity to take courses at a local college to foster lifelong learning and so on. The growth of age-friendly initiatives around the country is another example of real policy change and new perspectives on aging.
If we can disrupt and adjust the way we think about aging, both within the workforce and outside of it, we have the potential to promote health in seniors and help them reach their full potential. Most of the limits we place on what seniors can and cannot do are based on assumptions rather than reality.
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