“Active Aging Week” (October 5-11 this year) was initiated by the International Council on Active Aging to promote free wellness activities in organizations for those 50+ with a goal of reaching as many older adults as possible. Suggestions include group walks, group exercise classes such as yoga, and health-related classes like prevention of falling. Sponsors for programming include Humana, Abbot, and LeadingAge, a national advocacy group of 5300 nonprofit service providers serving older adults. “Active aging” includes recognizing that many older adults are active contributors to society.
Ageism Awareness Day (October 9) is sponsored by the American Society on Aging to reinforce a realistic view of aging. For many, there is a bias against rising numbers of older adults. Perhaps Americans are in need of a “personality lift.”
Ageism often misrepresents the facts. Ageism has 3 components:
- Stereotypes (how we think),
- Prejudice (how we feel), and
- Discrimination (how we act) toward others or ourselves, often based on one’s numerical age.
Psychotherapist and spiritual writer Thomas Moore writes in Ageless Soul, “When people think of keeping their youth as they age, they often think too physically, materially, and literally. They get face-lifts but not personality lifts.”
Yes, youth is prized in American culture. And yes, facelifts are a “thing;” according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons; as many as 230,000 full and partial facelifts happen each year in the U.S., as well as increasing numbers of facial fat grafting and neck lifts.
We need to break ageist, sexist, racist, and gender bias stereotypes in America. There is backlash from younger workers about Social Security payments provided for seasoned citizens (my label). It is not well known how much older adults support our economy and are key caregivers. Nearly 69% of U.S. grandparents (estimated at 65 million) provide some kind of childcare or support for their grandchildren. Approximately 2.07 million grandparents are the mainstay for raising their resident grandchildren. Almost a third of older adults identifying as LGBTQIA+ are providing care to a friend.
The number of people older than 75 in the labor force is estimated to be 10.1% in 2026. Recent AARP data indicate that adults 50+ produce $12.5 trillion in economic activity. However, most white-haired adults are not wealthy. In 2022, nearly 1 in 10 individuals ages 65 and older (approximately 5.9 million) lived below the poverty level. Many grandparent caregivers (60%) are in the workforce to make ends meet. It is a sad truth that the poverty rates are higher for African American, Asian and Hispanic older adults than non-Hispanic white older adults.
Let’s ask ourselves to notice when we are in discrimination territory. Stereotypes are so prevalent today in America that I am afraid we mostly do not notice. Your critical personality part often is a misguided protective attempt. Is your critic operating in overdrive? Personalities need tune-ups more frequently than cars.
Pearls of Peace (PoP) Quiz
540. When do you catch yourself being ageist/sexist/racist/gender-biased?
541. What are your own needs for a personality lift?
