From Ageism to Age Equality: Addressing the Challenges ...

Conference Conclusions andPriorities for the FutureBob Carroll, Director, NCAOPWhat is Ageism?Robert Butler, who coined the term, said that the underlying basis of ageism is the dread and fear ofgrowing older, becoming ill and dependent, and approaching death.As we heard this morning from Loretta Crawley, ageism is multi-dimensional: affective, cognitive andbehavioural. It encompasses negative feelings and prejudices against older people, stereotyping ofthem and discrimination against them.The old are often portrayed as conservative, set in their ways, cranky, feeble-bodied and feebleminded.These stereotypes are increasingly contested by the organisation Age and Opportunity andothers who promote positive attitudes to ageing and older people. More insidious perhaps is theincreasing use of terminology implying a threat to society from the older population generally.Examples emerging from the pensions, insurance and medical industries include:69the ageing crisisthe demographic time bombthe burden of ageingbed-blocking.As indicated at our last conference, to characterise population ageing as a crisis and a burden isageist, not only because it devalues the triumph of increasing life expectancy, but also because itthreatens intergenerational solidarity and a society for all ages.Does Ageism Exist in Ireland?Terminology such as ‘the burden of ageing’ and ‘bed-blocking’ quickly projects onto older people andfacilitates negatively differential treatment of them in employment, education, pensions, health,social care, insurance and other services particularly important to them.But does ageism exist in Ireland? It is pretty clear from the papers presented by Síle O’Connor andEileen McGlone that indeed it does. Among respondents to the ARK Survey, there was a widespreadperception that older people are generally treated less favourably in our society because of their age.From Ageism to Age Equality: Addressing the Challenges