Age-Friendly Seniors Project Gets Funding Boost

BY TERRENCE MCEACHERN
LEADER-POST
NOVEMBER 30, 2013

As our population continues to get older, so too is the desire to get elderly people more active in the community and raise awareness about elder abuse and ageism.
"As they age and no longer go to work, people sometimes get the impression that their best-before date has passed, and we don't need to pay any attention to them or include them in things that are happening in the community," said Kerrie Strathy, division head at the University of Regina's Lifelong Learning Centre. "But in an age-friendly community, there will be opportunities for older adults to remain active through social and recreational programs (and) volunteer activities," she added.
"This initiative is based on the knowledge that older adults in Regina have a wide range of skills and abilities to offer their community."
On Friday, the centre's Age-Friendly Community Project received $24,750 in funding from Richmond MP Alice Wong, minister of state for seniors.
By having elderly people engaged in the community through social and volunteer activities, the goal is to help improve their health and well-being and deal with issues such as isolation and lack of opportunities. As well, the project aims to raise awareness about elderly abuse and try to eliminate ageism by bringing young adults and elderly people together.
"We're hoping that by younger people working together with older people they can eliminate the myths of ageism from both ends and everyone will be in a stronger position in the community," said Wong.
The one-year project ends in April. Moving forward, Strathy said she would like to funding continue and issues such as better sidewalks and housing available for seniors be addressed.
"I think (Regina) City Council has heard some of these issues before, but to make sure that they really do come across clearly. So, when the city is planning what it is going to do, both in terms of infrastructure repair but also looking at new (construction), that it takes into consideration things that will make it easy for people to get around," she said.

SOURCE:        The Leader Post
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See Eldelry as Human Beings

By Dr Bill Thomas,  US elderly care expert

More people are living longer. And in this week's Scrubbing Up, US elderly care expert Dr Bill Thomas says the way they are cared for needs to change.

An ageing society, unprecedented financial pressures and the fact that we just deserve better mean the standard care home model needs radical re-engineering.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed in October that the number of centenarians in the UK has increased fivefold in the last 30 years.

The seismic change in life expectancy is fantastic news.

But the typical care home model is still grounded in healthcare concepts developed well over 100 years ago by Florence Nightingale. And it needs a massive shift if it is to reflect older people's changing needs.

'Antiquated and wrong'

Our model, which we run at centres in the US, creates small communities for groups of older people and staff to focus on living full and vibrant lives.

It is a radical departure from traditional care homes. There are already more than 100 in the US but none yet in the UK.

It is based around households of seven to 10 older people, supported by specially trained highly versatile workers who provide a wide range of assistance including personal care, activities, meals and laundry.

 Conventional long-term care makes the carers the stars of show, in the spotlight all the time.

This approach places the elders at centre stage: they, and their families, become active and involved decision-makers.

The staff are still there, but they are backstage, where they are supposed to be, helping people to be involved in every aspect of running the household, from cooking to budgeting.

I have realised that simply doing a better job within the standard model is not going to get us where we need to go. It doesn't work, it's antiquated and it's wrong.

It's better to live in a place that's about growth and development than a place that's about decline, disability and death.

Blank sheet

What we believe about older people influences how they feel about themselves. Enabling older people to play an important part in the way a home is run helps them remain independent and happy.

It's the relationship, it's the connection, it's the belonging that counts. We have to teach people to see the elderly as growing human beings.

Interestingly, one of the biggest concerns I hear about the approach is "what will the regulator say?"

In the US, regulators have been persuaded of the merits of this approach because they have seen the positive outcomes for older people.

The fiscal crisis is, in a strange way, an advantage.

Carrying on the way we have always done things carries a very high risk of failure. It's time to change.

Fortunately, this is change we can accomplish without increasing spending. The art of care-giving has tremendous value, it can make a life worth living and it is worth doing well.

Building design plays a part in the concept.

Starting with a blank sheet of paper provides a chance to develop something completely new and that is being tried at places including West Hall, an Anchor development currently being built in Surrey.

There are many incremental changes that can be implemented today in every care home in the world which, taken together, would make a real difference in the lives of older people.

The important thing to understand is that we are moving away from care that is based on tasks and facilities and toward a future in which relationships matter most.

Dr Thomas is the founder of the Eden Alternative and set up the Green House Nursing Home, both in the US. He is a paid advisor for Anchor - which provides retirement and care homes - in the UK.

SOURCE:     BBC.CO.UK
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Human Rights Day: Why We Need a Convention on the Right of Older People

Human Rights Day: Why we need a convention on the right of older people

Posted By Bridget Sleap  

08 December 2011

This year Human Rights Day celebrates the bravery of human rights defenders and the power of human rights activism around the world.

In 2011, older women and men in 57 countries from Albania to Zimbabwe demanded that their rights be protected as part of HelpAge's Age Demands Action campaign. They called for greater political participation in the drafting and monitoring of laws that affect them.

They called for an end to the age discrimination that prevents them from accessing services, such as bank loans. And they called for measures to ensure that their rights, to health or social security for example, are protected.

Important year for older people's rights

2011 has been an important year for older people's rights. The Organization of American States has agreed to draft a new regional convention protecting the rights of older people. And in Africa, a regional human rights law on older people's rights is being drafted.

This year also saw the first UN Secretary General's report devoted entirely to older people's rights, recognising the specific human rights challenges they face. The Special Rapporteur on the right to health also published a report on key issues regarding older people's right to health.

Also in 2011, the Open-ended Working Group on Ageing (OEWG) met three times. The OEWG was set up so UN Member States can review how human rights instruments address older people's rights, identify any gaps in protection and explore the feasibility of new instruments, such as conventions.

Debating a convention

The discussion at these meetings revolved around four main gaps in protection: information, monitoring, implementation and normative gaps. Whilst there was general agreement on the first three, the fourth caused controversy and debate.

Member States supporting a new convention (predominantly from Latin America) argue that existing human rights instruments fail to protect older people's rights in the same way as those of women and children. They argue this lack of specific human rights instruments on older people's rights is a normative gap that needs filling with a convention.

Other Member States (predominantly from the European Union) argue that such standard setting is not the answer.

The question is: why not?

Better protection of older people's rights is crucial

Older people are a population group with specific requirements that need to be fulfilled in order to guarantee their rights. However, existing human rights instruments do not adequately articulate what measures need to be taken nor clarify governments' obligations to protect older people's rights.

MIPAA, the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, cannot be relied on to fill these gaps. It is not a human rights instrument and therefore provides no clarification on states' human rights obligations towards older people. It is not enforceable and has no accountability or redress mechanisms, which are critical to the protection of human rights.

As a society, we recognise that denial of rights and discrimination based on gender, race or disability are totally unacceptable and that we need universal standards of behaviour and legal protection to prevent this. These standards are articulated in relevant human rights conventions.

So why don't we need similar standards against ageism and discrimination based on age?

Age discrimination and ageism are entrenched

Getting older is as much a part of being human as being a man or woman, or being from a particular ethnic group. Discrimination based on age is, therefore, as much a denial of our human rights as discrimination that is based on the colour of our skin or our sex.

Could it be that ageism is so deeply entrenched in society that we are not even aware that we are being ageist, let alone challenge it in others? This failure to recognise and act against ageism is no trivial matter. It results in loss of dignity, discrimination, and denial of rights.

Setting universal human rights standards that are then incorporated into national law would be a major step forward in ensuring ageism becomes as unacceptable as other forms of prejudice. A human rights convention explicitly prohibiting age discrimination and clarifying human rights obligations towards older people would provide the standards against which all action can be monitored, and those in authority held to account.

Standing alongside older activists

So as we celebrate the activism of the older women and men who are defending their rights, we must stand alongside them.

We must take the unique opportunity of the OEWG, which meets again in the summer of 2012, to challenge how society treats older people and to encourage more governments, particularly from Africa and Asia, to participate in the debate.

Finally, we should all push for specific human rights standards within a convention on the rights of older people that will protect our rights and maintain our dignity in later life.

What you can do

• Read more on our policy work on older people's rights and how we are working towards a convention on the rights of older people.
• Take a stand against age discrimination and sign our Age Demands Action petition.
• Watch older people speak out about their own experiences of ageism, age discrimination and having their rights denied.

SOURCE:    HelpAGE.ORG

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Lack of Respect for the Old is the Real Problem (UK)

Lack of respect for the old is the real problem

Underlying lack of funding is ageism: old people are mistreated because they are loathed

By GERALDINE BEDELL

24 NOVEMBER 2011

You're in hospital and your oxygen tank leaks, soaking your pyjamas and the bed. No one comes to help until your daughter arrives, when one of the nurses says: "Oh, no! What's he done now?" You visit your mother in a care home and find that she's in nappies, even though she's not incontinent. She tells you that she complained to the staff but they accused her of making trouble and – she believes – punished her by leaving her on her own in a wheelchair in a side room.

Yesterday's report claiming that the elderly are routinely abused in their own homes should come as no surprise, because they are routinely abused in public. Both of the examples above are among hundreds of similar stories that have been posted on Gransnet since we launched in May this year; our members are of the generation that is caring for elderly parents and they are often subject to ageism themselves. One member, helped up the ward by a physio following an operation, was asked: "Do you use a stick at home, dear?" To which she replied, through gritted teeth: "No, at home I use a bicycle."

The Equality and Human Rights Commission report follows similar revelations highlighting widespread mistreatment of the elderly in hospitals; plus a series of alarming bulletins from the Care Quality Commission on abuse in hospitals and care homes. This all adds up to an epidemic of casual cruelty. If children were being physically hurt, emotionally taunted, stolen from and starved by adults who were supposed to be looking after them, there would be outrage. As it is, we mutter about carers being overworked and underpaid and shrug over budget cuts and the state of the economy. It's as if, deep down, we accept that abuse of the elderly is always with us.

Of course, the money matters. If care workers had more than 15 minutes to spend on a visit, they could undoubtedly do their jobs better. Following £1.3bn of cuts, their schedules are stretched to tearing point (and, let's face it, their time was never valued highly in the first place). Cuts are manifestly making neglect more likely.

But it's not all about money. A teacher who manhandled and pushed a child or humiliated him about his failings would never get away with blaming a heavy workload. Underlying lack of funding is a deeply ingrained ageism: old people are mistreated because old people are loathed in our culture and caring for them is seen as something faintly degrading. Ageism is widespread and almost invisible, and its most casual, innocent forms lay the ground for pernicious cruelty. Everyone who makes a casual ageist remark, despises someone for not being young, or fears growing old (which is not the same thing as dying) is a little bit culpable of these acts of violence and disdain.

SOURCE:     Independent.co.uk

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Pledge to End Age Discrimination is Welcomed (BERMUDA)

Pledge to end age discrimination is welcomed

By Jonathan Bell

Nov 5, 2011

Opposition spokeswoman for seniors Louise Jackson has questioned why Throne Speech promises for Bermuda’s elderly weren’t implemented years ago.

“Better late than never,” said Ms Jackson, of the pledge to table an amendment to the Human Rights Act eliminating age discrimination.

A change to the law would do away with a mandatory retirement age of 65.

“The One Bermuda Alliance certainly appreciates that Government has finally recognised so many problems that seniors have suffered for years,” Ms Jackson said.

“However, most of the statements they have made haven’t been promises, as such.”

In the speech, Government said elder abuse legislation and health insurance reforms would be introduced.

The issue of upfront payments for medical treatment was said to be “already being addressed”.

Responded Ms Jackson: “They say that, but the Health Council has also said that this is a very difficult problems that they can’t see to fruition. They’re not saying what they’re actually going to do.”

She added that a promise to review the eligibility criteria for Financial Assistance so that seniors who own their own homes could qualify “isn’t the same as saying they will actually do it”.

Ms Jackson said: “These are issues I’ve been talking about for the last eight years. How many people have suffered in the meantime?”

Age Concern director Claudette Fleming commended the speech’s attention to seniors, saying that many of the items brought up in the Throne Speech had been on the agenda at a recent meeting of the charity.

Age Concern aired its views last week, with the various political candidates for the Devonshire South Central by-election.

“It seems like the concerns of our members made it straight to the top,” Ms Fleming said.

“In particular, addressing the fact that some, I stress not all but some, seniors want the option of being able to work past 65, makes the amendment to the Human Rights Act to include anti-age discrimination very important.”

Amendments to the Elder Abuse Act would hopefully include assets protection, she said, to protect the elderly from family members and others who take over their homes but neglect their needs.

Ms Fleming said the group was in “total support” of amendments to Financial Assistance for senior homeowners.

“In addition, Age Concern is encouraged about the mention in the Throne Speech of working more with the non-profit sector. We have continuously expressed our desire to be at the planning table with a view of being delegated some of the work that needs to be done.

“We want to work and we want to work with our public sector leaders that are committed to making Bermuda a place to age that is the envy of the world. We therefore look forward to sitting at the National Ageing Strategy table, making our contribution and strengthening our commitment to work through collaborative and decisive action.”

Government has said senior will be the focus of the National Strategy on Ageing, which remains a work in progress.

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Ageism: It is Real and It is Wrong (CANADA)

Ageism: it is real and it is wrong

Aug 14 2011

By Carol Goar

The Toronto Sun Editorial Board

The term ageism makes politicians, bureaucrats and lawyers uncomfortable.

Some think it’s a fabricated word designed to give legitimacy to the complaints of an aggrieved minority. Others admit discrimination against the elderly exists, but they don’t know how to define it, measure it or codify it in law.

They didn’t like sexism or racism either, but driven by public pressure they developed laws and guidelines that could be applied.

Now the Law Commission of Ontario is attempting to do the same for ageism: turn it into an injustice that can be recognized, documented and remedied.

Last week it published a draft report designed to help lawmakers identify and take action against policies and practices that discriminate on the basis of age. Until November, it will hold public consultations for the next three months to make sure nothing is missing or misconceived. A final draft will be released in early 2012.

“With the aging of Canada’s population, it is increasingly important that we have sound legal and policy approaches to issues affecting older Canadians,” said Patricia Hughes, executive director of the provincial advisory agency. “While pioneering work has been done in this area, there has not yet been a comprehensive, coherent and principled approach developed for this area of the law.”

The carefully researched policy paper won’t win over skeptics. But it will address the concern that ageism is too amorphous to be judged or prevented.

It begins by pointing out both Canada’s Charter of Rights and the Ontario Human Rights Code explicitly prohibit age-based discrimination. It then shows the gap between the legislation and the reality: Caregivers routinely assume seniors can’t make their own decisions. Policymakers don’t bother to consult them on issues affecting them. Health-care and social service providers withhold supports to which are entitled. People patronize them, ignore them or exclude them the life of the community.

To move toward equality for older Canadians, the commission says, all laws should reflect these principles:

 • Respect for the dignity of the individual.

 • The presumption of ability, not disability.

 • The right to be included in community affairs.

 • Freedom from abuse or exploitation.

Abridged
SOURCE:    The Toronto Star
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Ageism: The Path to Elder Abuse

January 17, 2011

By Jack Halpern

The number of Americans 60 and older is growing, but society still isn't embracing the aging population, geropsychologists say. Whether battling "old geezer" stereotypes or trying to obtain equal standing in the workplace, those who are 60 or older may all too often find themselves the victims of ageism. Fueling the problem is the media's portrayal of older adults.

At a Senate hearing last fall, experts testified before the Special Committee on Aging about the effects of age stereotypes. Doris Roberts, the Emmy-award winning actress in her seventies from the television show "Everybody Loves Raymond," also testified at the hearing.

"My peers and I are portrayed as dependent, helpless, unproductive and demanding rather than deserving," Roberts testified. "In reality, the majority of seniors are self-sufficient, middle-class consumers with more assets than most young people, and the time and talent to offer society."

The world of aging portrayed in the mass media has not traditionally been an enjoyable or positive one.

Old people today are generally not appreciated as experienced "elders" or possessors of special wisdom; they are simply seen as sometimes remaining competent enough to be included in the unitary role category of "active citizen." Old people are respected to the extent that they can behave like young people, that is, to the extent that they remain capable of working, enjoying sex, exercising and taking care of themselves.

An advertisement for a calcium dietary supplement, recently seen in numerous national magazines, depicts a woman's silhouette frame by frame as she moves rightward across a page. She is apparently aging before our eyes, growing progressively older and more stooped as she succumbs to osteoporosis. By the last frame she needs the support of a cane.

Another ad, obviously directed to the over-50 age group, pictures a stereotypical white-haired old lady leaning out of a car window and holding a glass of dark liquid. The headline reads: 'Prune Power To Go." Accompanying copy describes the virtues of a prune product in dealing with a failing digestive system.

Both ads reflect the lack of respect and fear of aging in short, the ageism typical of the media's treatment of older people. For years, advertising and entertainment media alike reflected the prevailing stereotype of seniors as bumbling, crotchety or senile. With perpetual frowns on their faces, the older people in shows and commercials lived only to criticize younger people and nurse their aches and pains.


The effects of ageism:

Not only are negative stereotypes hurtful to older people, but they may even shorten their lives, finds psychologist Becca Levy, PhD, assistant professor of public health at Yale University. In Levy's longitudinal study of 660 people 50 years and older, those with more positive self-perceptions of aging lived 7.5 years longer than those with negative self-perceptions of aging. The study appeared in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (Vol. 83, No. 2).



Abridged
SOURCE:     MyElderAdvocate


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Ageism Rife In Australia, Research Finds

Ageism rife in Australia, research finds

2 March, 2010

Societal changes have had profound impact on older people and how society views and treats them.

Older people who are respected tend to have greater life satisfaction, including a sense of usefulness and involvement with their family and community.

However, respect towards older people varies greatly across the generations, with Generation X and Y viewing older people as fragile, unproductive and a burden on society.

A new research paper by Deakin University, commissioned by Benetas, found ageist attitudes are rife in the Australian population.

It found expressions of respect for older people has changed over time, from the submissive, such as serving and obeying seniors, to the mutual, such as listening and spending time with seniors.

The study, an Australian first, was based on focus groups with 113 participants including older people living in residential care, older people living independently, aged care volunteers, baby boomers and members of Generation X and Y.

Some baby boomers perceived older people as having little or no ambition, while a majority of respondents said older people were excluded from society.

“I don’t think we understand the full impact of societal changes on older people and how they’re respected,” said Sandra Hills, CEO of Benetas.

Older Australians are often no longer consulted on family matters or issues and as a result often find themselves excluded and lacking respect.

This lack of respect is also partly due to Australia’s unique geographical dispersion of the population. In other countries generations of families live together under the one roof. In Australia families and friends are often scattered across the country.

“This leads to further exclusion and loneliness due to a breakdown in communication – particularly when older family members face issues using technology to maintain relationships,” Hills said.

Projects and initiatives addressing social isolation and participation of older people are also essential, she said.

For providers, both consumer directed care and person centred care are models which require further examination. Benetas is also calling for training packages for care staff to enable them to develop interpersonal relationships with seniors.

The full ‘Respect in an ageing society’ research paper is available atwww.benetas.com.au

Abridged

SOURCE:    AgedCareInsite.Com

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Talking About Your Grandma's Generation (AUSTRALIA)

Talkin' about your grandma's generation

By Madonna King

22 February, 2010

It was a cartoon that summed up the feeling of a group of seniors sitting around a table at a meeting in Brisbane last week.

Published in regional Queensland, it showed the Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan riding a senior citizen, hitting him with a riding crop and saying: "And one more thing. You seniors will have to stop bludging off the rest of us!''

The group sitting around the table, representing 280 organisations in this state alone, hadn't lost their sense of humour.

But across Australia, and in the lead-up to this year's federal election, they're now preparing to draw a line at how the rest of the nation views them.

Step one begins today, when they release an appeal to politicians and the media to take specific words out of our vocabulary; words they believe are inciting a sense of blame, painting seniors as a laughing stock, and a big group of ageing bludgers.

Oldies, mouldy oldies, grumblies, grumpies, fugglies, fuddy duddies, geriatrics, the olds, the really olds, lost it, past it, and doddery are the 12 words or phrases they are focusing on.

The seniors' roundtable decided it was this list that helped blow an ill-wind in their direction, and their campaign to have them stopped is strategically placed in the run-up to this year's state and federal elections.

Mark Tucker-Evans, chief executive of the Council on the Ageing, says the nation's aged are now being seen as a "burden'' and risk being "blamed'' for economic decisions made by the Government.

He's right. The Rudd Government has been creating that perception, and the media perpetuating it, by linking the ageing of our population to potential cuts in services.

Some seniors also believe that the current blame-game debate is partly behind the increased number of calls to elder abuse units over the past year.

Certainly, much of the language used is not generated by ill-will. Some of it is just old-fashioned terms, now considered politically incorrect. For example, even the Council on the Ageing used to be called the Old People's Welfare Council.

Abridged

SOURCE:    ABC NET.AU

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Elder Rights In Costa Rica

Elder Rights 
Costa Rica: Candidate for Congress Victim of Abuse for Being an Older Adult (January 11, 2010) 
(Article in Spanish) 
Jose Joaquin Vargas was going to his usual medical checkup when he entered the bus and showed his senior citizen identification. The bus driver seemed bothered by Mr. Vargas and called him a "lazy old man." At age 72, Vargas is one of the candidates for Congress in Costa Rica, and is tired of being treated as an inferior person just because he's old. "With the support of my fellow senior citizens we will have a voice in the Assembly and a chance to defend our rights as Costa Rican citizens," he proclaimed in a recent speech. His campaign's priority is raising awareness about the rights of older persons. 

SOURCE:    Global Aging.Org
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Accident Compensation Corporation Changes Could Harm Elderly, Says Lawyer(NEW ZEALAND)

By John Gibb 

7 Dec 2009

Concerns are growing that several recent and proposed ACC policy changes could damage the health and quality of life of older New Zealanders.

Dunedin lawyer Peter Sara highlighted age-related worries late last week in a submission, via video conference links, to a parliamentary select committee considering changes to the ACC legislation.

It was "unjust" that a proposed law change to introduce a 6% threshold for work-related hearing loss could deny hearing-aid funding for older workers whose hearing had previously been gradually damaged by "toxic" levels of workplace noise, Mr Sara said in an interview.

"The other disturbing thing is that it has a look of ageism about it."

The New Zealand Audiological Society has criticised the threshold proposals as adversely affecting the elderly.

Critics say that people with less than 6% of overall hearing loss have often lost 50% of their hearing of high-pitched sounds, and would struggle to hear their grandchildren's voices.

Mr Sara said some older, retired people also found it increasingly hard to gain ACC support, including funding for surgery after being injured in falls, with ACC officials suggesting that apparent physical injuries actually reflected age-related physical deterioration.

There was "a culture of denial and cost-cutting" at ACC, he said.

ACC was approached for comment late last week, but no response has been received.

Funding has been cut for a falls prevention programme in the home involving older people, based on internationally-recognised research led by Prof John Campbell, of the Otago Medical School.

ACC officials say ACC is maintaining its overall commitment to falls prevention and that a tai chi-related programme for older people will continue next year.

Age Concern Otago executive officer Susan Davidson said older people were "the glue that holds our society together" in many ways, including through their extensive voluntary work, such as looking after grandchildren.

Ms Davidson was also concerned about ACC-related issues and said a fall at home could have "huge" effects on older people and their families.

One key positive aspect was that Age Concern New Zealand had high-level input to the ACC on its concerns, through membership of a national committee.

SOURCE:    ODT.CO.NZ

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Stop Abuse, Stop Ageism (NEW ZEALAND)

Stop Abuse, Stop Ageism

18 November 2009

Age Concern Media release

Age Concern believes that elder abuse and neglect has its roots in ageism and lack of respect for older people.

"Elder abuse is not okay whether it's in a resthome or someone's own home, and we all have the ability to do something about it.

"If you're an older person facing abuse or someone who suspects it's happening, you can help stop it," Age Concern New Zealand elder abuse and neglect prevention spokesperson Jayne McKendry says.

"If you see something that's not right, our message is to speak up. If you suspect elder abuse in a rest home talk to the rest home manager, or Age Concern, your district health board's funding and planning manager, or the Ministry of Health's HealthCert team.

But there is one important proviso, Jayne McKendry warns.

"The rights of the older person must be everyone's central concern."

"This includes their right to privacy."

"It's important to involve the older person. If you want to complain on their behalf, you should have their permission. If they're not competent to give this, find out who they have given their Enduring Power of Attorney to."

Every day, at least two more cases of abuse or neglect of older people are uncovered by Age Concern Elder Abuse and Neglect Prevention Services, and they know that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Age Concern says all the types of elder abuse seen in the wider community can occur in some resthomes. This includes psychological, financial, physical and sexual abuse, and neglect.

In addition institutional abuse, where accepted policies or practices disregard older people's rights or cause them harm, can happen in resthomes. Examples include inflexible routines, inadequate staffing levels, leaving people unattended on a toilet for over 30 minutes, and poor food selection or nutrition.

SOURCE:   SCOOP.CO. NZ
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Ageism Needs to be Combated (USA)

Ageism needs to be combated

A right to legal protection against ageism is in the works

September 14, 2009

The Associated Press

By Kenneth D. Adkins

LifeStream Services CEO

Ageism. You might not recognize the word by itself, but you might know or have experienced these attitudes based on age: perceived fragility; not worth training; not fit to perform a job; not taken seriously; ignored; dependent; helpless; unproductive; demanding; undeserving; unworthy of attention, or debilitated.

When those attitudes are based on age — either young or older — they are all a form of ageism, a real and serious issue.

Ageism is defined simply as discrimination against a person of a certain age group. The term “ageism” was not in existence until 1969 when Robert Butler, the first director of the National Council on Aging, created it. He equated this type of discrimination against the elderly to discrimination on the basis of gender, creed, or ethnic identity.

Examples of ageism include such things as elder abuse; discrimination in health care, nursing facilities, emergency services, or workplaces due to age and negative representation in media and marketing. It also includes jokes in poor taste that further stereotypes of aging, and it includes shunning or treating aging adults in a different way because of their age.

Today’s news headlines seem to indicate there is a struggle already between current workers and retirees as evidenced by decisions to decrease or eliminate benefits for retirees. It’s the “out of sight, out of mind” perspective, it seems.

You can also help combat ageism by joining our grassroots e-mail list for advocates. Just let us know and we will be happy to add your name to the list of people who want to make a positive difference in our world. Send your e-mail to mail@lifestreaminc.org or call us at (800) 589-1121.

Kenneth D. Adkins is president and CEO of LifeStream Services Inc. in Yorktown.

Abridged

SOURCE: The Herald Bulletin

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Women and Ageism - Discrimination Equality Bill (UK

United Kingdom: Women & Ageism - Discrimination - Equality Bill (April 13, 2009)

Joan Bakewell, a former British journalist and broadcaster has accepted a government invitation to become the 'Voice of Older People.'

This nomination coincides with a new Equality Bill in the UK. In this country, ageism is the most commonly-experienced form of discrimination, with 23% of adults reporting that they have suffered from it (three times more than any other form of discrimination), according to figures provided by British charity, Age Concern. It looms especially large for women, who, on an average, live longer than men do and make up a bigger proportion of the elderly population.

Women also run the greatest risk of curtailed professional careers and reduced pension rights. The Department of Health has commissioned research, showing age discrimination in the provision of health services could be expensive to eradicate. Age Concern is also concerned that the new law could take time to implement. While welcoming the changes, Age Concern is concerned that for some elderly people, who have already waited long enough, they will be too late. 

SOURCE:  Global Aging.org

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'Say No to Ageism' Campaign and Elder Abuse Prevention (Ireland)

‘Say No to Ageism’ campaign launched

The ‘Say No to Ageism’ campaign (2009) was launched last week. The campaign will focus on encouraging individuals to question their own attitude and then say no to ageism, to tackle the problem especially in employment and the provision of services and make changes to their own environment.

 “With the upcoming World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15, the ‘Say No to Ageism’ campaign offers another opportunity to challenge negative attitudes and perceptions that devalue and dis-empower older people. Such attitudes and perceptions can lead to a tolerance and acceptance of abuse,” said Frank Murphy, Chair of the National Elder Abuse Steering Committee.

SOURCE:   Irish Medical News

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Elder Care: The First Cut is the Deepest

By Andrew Chadwick

Yes, we are in dire straits. The predicted economic downturn is panning out to be a global recession.

We are all in this and cannot even pretend it’s not here. I know too, that we all have to tighten our belts and watch how we spent our money. What is most amazing to most of us is that many politicians will set out to cut findings to elder care and education.

Why cut funding to elder care? The seniors, to many, are ‘on their way out’. Forget about their good citizenship or their hard work when they were in the workforce. Didn’t they pay their taxes?

But politicians who are thinking of ‘cutting out’ the elderly, in their budget, have better note that there are those who still can help voice the views of the majority in the ‘Grey Force’. It helps to note too, that the elderly, unless they are severely hampered by dementia, have long memory. Comes the next election, they will remember who cut them out of care funding.

Cyberspace has afforded the networking of many like-minded people together. Just check out your searches – be it Google, yahoo, etc.
There are countless businesses targeting the seniors. Even legal services have expanded into the lucrative business of untangling messy probate, financial abuse, nursing home abuse – the list goes on and on.

The baby-boomer tsunami has opened up a very lucrative market.

So, why does government wants to stop looking after seniors?

Governments around the world have put in place ‘rescue packages’ to bail out businesses; why they can’t ‘bail out’ seniors? Many has realized that as a group, seniors can mean $$$$ in the bank.

All we are saying is – Give us a fair go! We may be on our way out, but as researches would have it – we do take longer to check out.

All we are asking is – Do not ignore us! Do you best to look after us. What politicians put in place for the elderly; can one day be used to make their twilight years more secure and safe.
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Elder Care and Protection: Govt. Strengthens Protection for Seniors (Australia)

Rudd Government will amend the Age Discrimination Act 2004 to remove the 'dominant reason' test.

Attorney-General Robert McClelland and Minister for Ageing Justine Elliot today announced that the Rudd Government will amend the Age Discrimination Act 2004 to remove the 'dominant reason' test.
The current test means that a person's age must be the dominant reason for something to constitute discrimination under the Act. This is inconsistent with the other federal unlawful discrimination laws."Our view is that it is entirely unacceptable to give older Australians a weaker protection because of their age," Mr McClelland said.

This is another example of the Rudd Government’s commitment to older Australians, including the investment of record funding in aged and community care. This includes more than $40 billion for aged and community care; $28.6 billion of that on nursing homes and hostels alone. In 2008-2009, $2.2 billion will be spent on community care.

Abridged
SOURCE: AustraliaTO
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We should applaud the great move. However, when will the government act to make elder abuse a crime? Or, publicise the fact that elder abuse is NOT tolerable in our society. May be there are no elder abuse cases in Australia. Even the media are not interested in the issue, unless the case created sensational headlines like, " .... 95 year old, raped in nursing home.." Wake up, Australia.
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Law 'Will Ban Age Discrimination' (UK)

Law 'will ban age discrimination'
By Sue Littlemore
Social affairs correspondent, BBC News

The government is to bring forward new legislation to outlaw all forms of age discrimination, the BBC has learned.

Equalities Minister Harriet Harman is expected to announce the plan on Thursday as part of a package of measures in an Equalities Bill.

The proposals, which are to be adopted across England, Wales and Scotland, will also include policies to tackle the gender pay gap.

Campaigners have long argued that prejudice based on age is widespread.

Age discrimination in the workplace has been illegal since 2006, but the new legislation will tackle more widespread forms of age-related prejudice.

Goods and services

Travel, health and motor insurance is also expected to be included, where cover is simply withdrawn beyond a certain age or is prohibitively expensive.

David Clark, 76, from London, has campaigned for action against age discrimination through the charity Help the Aged.

He told the BBC that when he was 75, he was told the cost of travel insurance for a two-week holiday to America would be £175.

However, he had to postpone the trip and had turned 76 when he wanted to resume planning for the journey.

"This time, the same insurance was going to cost me £831," he said.

"None of my circumstances had changed, including my health. The only difference and reason for the increase was that I was now over 75."

The Association of British Insurers denies its members are unfair in their policies.

It argues that they do not discriminate against older people, but simply take account of risk.

However, groups such as Help the Aged challenge that.
But new laws and regulations often meet resistance from employers, organisations and individuals, who resent what they see as the state meddling in their business.

The moral case for eradicating discrimination in all its forms is easy. The new Equalities Bill will have to do something much harder.

To be successful, the bill must not just promote policies based on knowing what is right, but policies which will inspire action that works as well.


Abridged
SOURCE: BBC


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Ageism: Govt. Has A Perfect Chance to Reduce It (UK)

Ageism is no more tolerable than any other prejudice
Discrimination against old people is rife - and the government has the perfect chance to do something to reduce it

By Jackie Ashley
The Guardian
June 2 2008

We hear about older people quite a lot, but generally only when they are being tossed the bone of extra help with fuel payments - a useful bone, but a bone nonetheless. Westminster gets hot under the collar about all sorts of groups, from knife-wielding street thugs to migrant workers, the super-rich to the over-borrowed. Yet the way we treat that large and rising group, the elderly, is under-discussed.

It matters this week of all weeks because talks about the new equality bill are coming to a head. The issue is whether age discrimination should take its place alongside discrimination against people on the basis of religion, gender, sexuality or disability in the new bill, which will be introduced in next autumn's Queen's speech. And there is an ominous, slightly rasping clatter coming out of Whitehall: it is the noise of the backtrack.

There is already age discrimination legislation, but it covers the workplace, and is therefore much narrower than laws to protect other groups. Services ranging from health and social care to financial services are all exempt from legislation, and age discrimination is rife. Whether it's the lack of breast cancer screening for over-75s, doctors' decisions not to treat elderly patients' complaints seriously or the inability to find travel insurance, the elderly find they are not regarded as equal citizens. One Age Concern campaigner says the effect of insurance companies refusing even to give a quote to elderly people is like walking along the high street and finding eight out of 10 shops with a sign reading "no old people here".

Not all of this can be dealt with in a bill, but it would certainly help change the general atmosphere, the culture of what is and what is not acceptable. For bullying is not something that stops when you leave the playground. Being shunned and casually abused are not things suffered only by members of sexual or ethnic minorities. Indeed, ageism remains the last socially acceptable prejudice. No glamour, you see: just the wrinkled outside face of long, creative and useful lifetimes.

Abridged
SOURCE: TheGuardianUK




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Urgent Action Against Age Discrimination (UK)

Take action against age discrimination

In 2007, Gordon Brown promised he would deliver: 'No discrimination on the basis of race, gender, sexuality, age, or faith. And no discrimination against the disabled.'

Yet age discrimination still exists.

Over the last year thousands of people have called on the Government to ban age discrimination as part of the Just Equal Treatment campaign.
Now we need your help to demand that Gordon Brown makes age discrimination illegal as part of the forthcoming Equality Bill.
Get involved now and help us protect the rights of today's 12 million older people and those of future generations.

Please send an email to your MP to forward on to the Prime Minister

It will take just a matter of seconds and will have a real impact!

SOURCE: HelptheAgedUK

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