The decade of Healthy Ageing

Age is one of the first things we notice about other people. Some notice a person’s eyes, or the hair or lack of it, some of us notice the way a person stands. We use these first impressions to make judgements or to put people into categories. Most of us have learned not to judge a person by the colour of their skin, but we have not yet learned not to judge a person because of their age. Ageism arises when age is used to categorize and divide people in ways that lead to harm, disadvantage and injustice and erode solidarity across generations.

Ageism is not just a problem for the elderly. Ageism takes on different forms across the life course. A teenager might, for instance, be ridiculed for starting a political movement; both older and younger people might be denied a job because of their age.

The World Health Organization (WHO) was asked to start, with its partners, a global campaign to combat ageism. So, a Global strategy and action plan on ageing and health was launched in 2021. 2021 to 2030 is the Decade of Healthy Ageing, and I bet few of us know this.

The impact of ageism

My focus is on concerns of the Boomers so even though I understand that ageism is serious for youth, I will focus on ageism and seniors. Ageism has serious and far-reaching consequences for people’s health, well-being and human rights. For older people, ageism is associated with a shorter lifespan, poorer physical and mental health, slower recovery from disability and cognitive decline. Ageism reduces older people’s quality of life, increases their social isolation and loneliness (both of which are associated with serious health problems), restricts their ability to express their sexuality and may increase the risk of violence and abuse against older people.

For individuals, ageism contributes to poverty and financial insecurity in older age and one recent estimate shows that ageism costs society billions of dollars.

WHO has determined that there are three strategies to reduce ageism that have been shown to work:

Policy and law

Policies and laws can be used to reduce ageism towards any age group.

They can include, for example, policies and legislation that address age discrimination and inequality and human rights laws. Strengthening policies and laws against ageism can be achieved by adopting new instruments at the local, national or international level and by modifying existing instruments that permit age discrimination. This strategy requires enforcement mechanisms and monitoring bodies at the national and international levels to ensure effective implementation of the policies and laws addressing discrimination, inequality and human rights.

Educational interventions

Educational interventions to reduce ageism should be included across all levels and types of education, from primary school to university, and informal and non-formal educational contexts.

Educational activities help enhance empathy, dispel misconceptions about different age groups and reduce prejudice and discrimination by providing accurate information and counter-stereotypical examples.

Intergenerational contact interventions

Investments should also be made in intergenerational contact interventions, which aim to foster interaction between people of different generations.

Such contact can reduce intergroup prejudice and stereotypes. Intergenerational contact interventions are among the most effective interventions to reduce ageism against older people, and they also show promise for reducing ageism against younger people.