Combating Ageism: Insights from Life Senior Services

Earlier this month, the American Society of Aging marked Ageism Awareness Day, drawing attention to a form of discrimination that often goes unnoticed. To shed light on this important issue, Autumn welcomed back Eileen Bradshaw from Life Senior Services.

Defining Ageism

Eileen Bradshaw explained what ageism entails: "Ageism is really a projection of a stereotype and promoting that folks who may be, you know, 60 plus or less than or maybe addled. So it's really projecting stereotypes on a whole group of people. So older people maybe have diminished capacity or not as valuable."

Ageism in the Workforce

When it comes to the workplace, ageism can be particularly prevalent. Autumn asked Eileen about the legal recourse available for those facing age-based discrimination. Eileen emphasized the importance of taking action:

"If you feel that you've been denied employment or been terminated because of your age. If you're asked questions about your age, you can report it to the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission, the EOC. You can access their number online, and they'll help you investigate that, and there are remedies for that. So there are laws to protect us in the workplace," she said.

The Pervasiveness of Ageism

Eileen noted that ageism is often subtle, making it even more dangerous. She shared her perspective on the issue:

"Ageism is subtle, and I think that's what makes it even more dangerous, right? Like life, senior services exist to promote independence and connectivity, but we have to watch our own language. You know, we people make self-deprecating jokes. You know, in the presidential election earlier this year, so much focus on the age of the candidates rather than maybe the individual attributes or shortcomings. Really, a lot of the problems were attributed to age, and so it's something as a society that we all need to kind of guard against," she said.

Embracing the Wisdom of Aging

Eileen emphasized the value that older adults bring to society and the importance of not marginalizing them. She stated:

"Aging brings with it wisdom and so much opportunity, and we don't want to marginalize that, because our society, our community, loses if we put folks over a certain age in a corner and restrict them or diminish what they have to offer. I mean, we all lose."

Resources for Addressing Ageism

For individuals who feel they have experienced age-based discrimination, Eileen recommended reaching out to Life Senior Services, which has case managers who can provide guidance and connect them with the appropriate resources, such as the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission (EEOC) and AARP, which advocates for the rights of older adults.

By raising awareness and providing support, organizations like Life Senior Services are working to combat ageism and ensure that the wisdom and contributions of older adults are valued and celebrated.