Assignment task:
Topic: Ageism and the Health of Older Adults
Introduction: Ageism is a social construct that depicts older adults (and sometimes younger people) in a stereotypical and often negative manner. Structural ageism affects older adults across multiple facets of life, including health care, employment, social programs, and everyday activities. Increasingly, many people are living into their 80s and experiencing good health as opposed to media portrayals of older adults suffering from illness and frailty. Recent research has revealed that regular exposure to ageist, discriminatory comments, treatment, and messages may have deleterious effects on the mental and physical health outcomes of older adults.
Challenge/Assignment:
Read:
Allen, J. O., Solway, E., Kirch, M., Singer, D., Kullgren, J. T., Moïse, V., & Malani, P. N. (2022). Experiences of everyday ageism and the health of older US adults.
Kilaru, A. S., & Gee, R. E. (2020, October). Structural ageism and the health of older adults.
Questions:
Q1. Briefly using examples address how pervasive ageism affects older adults.
Q2. What are some of the potential strategies for improvement on question 1 above?
Q3. Provide examples of structural ageism you have noticed.