Marylanders are experiencing longer, healthier life expectancies. According to the
Centers for Disease Control National, Maryland was one of only 11 states to see an increase in life expectancy in 2021 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is important as older Marylanders contribute significantly to the economy through work, innovation, purchasing power, and tax revenue. Part of the work of the Maryland Department of Aging through our multisector plan for aging, Longevity Ready Maryland, is to address how negative and inaccurate stereotypes impact social determinants of health and how we can work to advance a more equitable and complete understanding of the contributions the growing population of older Marylanders provides to our society.
Each year, ageism in the U.S. costs more than $63 billion in health care, and $850 billion to the U.S. economy.
Generational Work: Introduction to Reframe Aging
Wednesday, October 30, 2024
7:30 - 8 a.m. – Networking
8 - 9 a.m. – Presentation
Maryland State Fairgrounds/Cow Palace
Join like-minded professionals at The Power of Age Expo to network from 7:30-8 a.m. with breakfast available from the Fairground Concessions. Next, Hannah Albers, Project Director of the National Center to Reframe Aging will present evidence-based methods to communicate better about aging issues and how to apply framing strategies to become more effective communicators. By cultivating communications best practices, we can make a difference in the way older people are perceived and positively impact the services we need as we age.
Register here. For more information, visit www.powerofageexpo.com or call 410-887-2109.
Governor Moore Proclaims October 9th as Ageism Awareness Day in Maryland
Governor Wes Moore has proclaimed October 9, 2024 as
Ageism Awareness Day in Maryland to draw attention to the existence of ageism in our society and how it influences everything from personal interactions to public policy.
How we think, feel, and act toward others or ourselves based on age can negatively impact our health and well-being, our financial security, and the economy. Maryland joins the American Society on Aging, the
World Health Organization, and others to celebrate Ageism Awareness Day on Oct. 9, 2024. Register for our free Ageism Awareness Day Webinar on October 9th from 12:00pm - 1:00pm. Click here to register.
#AgeismAwarenessDay #TalkAboutAgeism #AWorld4AllAges
Impact of Ageism
-
Health and well-being: According to the World Health Organization and United Nation's Global Report on Ageism, among older people, ageism is associated with poorer physical and mental health, increased social isolation and loneliness, decreased quality of life and premature death. An estimated 6.3 million cases of depression globally are estimated to be attributable to ageism.
-
Financial security: Ageist stereotypes can pressure older workers to retire prematurely or prevent them from being considered for a job in the first place. Additionally, ageism can contribute to increased healthcare costs. According to a 2020 study published in The Gerontologist, ageism led to excess annual costs of $63 billion for the eight most expensive health conditions for people over 60.
- Local, state, and U.S. economy: Ageism can lead to a reduced labor supply and a decline in consumer spending through foregone increases in jobs and wages, as well as drawing from Social Security earlier. According to a
2018 AARP and Economist Intelligence Unit report, age discrimination costs the U.S. economy $850 billion in GDP.
Types of Ageism
Ageism is one of the most widespread and socially accepted forms of prejudice and comes in many forms, including:
-
Internalized ageism: How we feel about ourselves as we age
-
Implicit ageism: The unconscious bias that includes attitudes, feelings, and behaviors toward people of other age groups
-
Interpersonal ageism: Ageist comments and behavior, whether unconscious or conscious, that happens between people when they interact
-
Benevolent ageism: Patronizing, paternalistic beliefs or behaviors that older people need to be protected because they are no longer able to make decisions for themselves (may include "elder speak" as if talking to a child).
-
Cultural ageism: The everyday, invisible, profoundly ingrained and normalized negative messages about aging and old people embedded in movies, TV, songs, jokes, etc.
-
Institutional ageism: Unfair age-based restrictions in laws, policies, and practices of public and private institutions.
Strategies to Reduce Ageism
The United Nations Decade of Healthy Ageing global initiative has identified three strategies to reduce or eliminate ageism:
-
Policy and law can address discrimination and inequality on the basis of age and protect the human rights of everyone, everywhere.
-
Educational activities can enhance empathy, dispel misconceptions about different age groups, and reduce prejudice by providing accurate information and counter-stereotypical examples.
-
Intergenerational interventions, which bring together people of different generations, can help reduce intergroup prejudice and stereotypes.
MDOA Partners with the National Center to Reframe Aging
The Maryland Department of Aging formed a strategic partnership with the National Center to Reframe Aging to change the way society talks about aging, work to end implicit bias toward older people, and create more age-inclusive communities. The partnership was formed as part of Longevity Ready Maryland, a ten-year multisector plan to prepare Maryland for the challenges and maximize the benefits and opportunities of a rapidly aging society.
With funding from MDOA, the National Center to Reframe Aging, led by the Gerontological Society of America, has provided educational workshops, consultation, and technical assistance to more than 500 leaders, communicators, and policy makers across the state on how to better communicate about aging and the contributions older people bring to society.
On October 30th, NCRA will hold another workshop on how to advance an equitable and complete story about aging and promote evidence-based communication strategies to frame aging issues. Register here. For more information, visit
www.powerofageexpo.com or call 410-887-2109.
