Attitudes Toward Aging Affect Longevity
In fact, studies show that those with negative perceptions of aging have a decreased life expectancy of 7.5 years!
Imagine that! Those people who look forward or are not afraid of aging live YEARS longer!
Ageism is everywhere.
TV, advertisements, birthday cards, social media, and even our workplace and health systems.
Although ageism affects people at every age, many common ageist themes portray negative stereotypes against older adults.
Ageism can be can be external or internal.
External: Things we see in the world such as stereotypical media that portrays older adults as frail and forgetful.
Internal: Something we believe about aging within ourselves such as forgetting something and then stating “I’m getting old”.
WIHA at work.
In partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services and the Wisconsin Aging Advocacy Network, WIHA is taking steps to advance effective communication strategies about aging and disability across Wisconsin. By partnering with the National Center to Reframe Aging, we are promoting presentations and materials on how to effectively communicate while not portraying ageist or ableist beliefs.
WIHA also provides statewide presentations, calls out ageist media, and works with program providers to fight ageism in Wisconsin and beyond.
Resources
Check out this article about how Positive attitudes about aging may pay off in better health
age·ism (n)
prejudice or discrimination on the grounds of a person’s age.
Oxford Dictionary