USS Executive Director Maureen Fagans hopes many in the community will attend to learn about the effort.
“Beth’s presentation will bring awareness of the harm to society that ageism and ageist attitudes promote,” Fagans said. “One of our society’s strengths is our belief in justice. A just society ensures that everyone, regardless of age, can participate and contribute in meaningful ways. Too often, we limit opportunities for older people and minimize their contributions.”
Kowalczyk has been working as an advocate for Ohio’s older population for years and is encouraged that efforts leading policy makers to support policies tailored to the needs of elder Ohioians is gaining ground.
“I’ve been doing this work for 10 years, and this is the most I’ve seen people getting engaged in how to deal with it,” she said.
“The one thing we all have in common,” Kowalczyk noted, “is that we are all aging and, if we are lucky, we will become members of the older population.”
Research begun in 2014 by a group of organizations whose services address the needs of the aging population joined together to spearhead “Reframing Aging” with a goal of altering attitudes toward aging and of impacting public policy.
Kowalczyk said ageism and its associated stereotypes have caused serious and significant damage.
“Ageism has negative health impact and can actually shorten the life span,” she said, citing studies from multiple countries that found older adults were often denied access to health care treatments and were the victims of age discrimination in medical decisions. The impact affected older people regardless of age, sex and racial/ethnic membership.
Kowalczyk is encouraging those who work with members of the older generation to examine their own biases and be aware of the impact their assumptions and prejudices about age can have on those they serve.
“Language that sets seniors apart from the rest of the population can promote ageism,” Kowalczyk said. “Separating one group of the population with descriptions such as ‘Silver Tsunami’ essentially equates people with a natural disaster. We need to tell a more complete and realistic story that values older people, leaving stereotypes behind.”
Part of Kowalczyk’s role includes working with government to enact legislation that supports older adults. She said she usually wears a button in her meetings with legislators that says “Aging is So Cool Everybody’s Doing It.”
While it brings a smile, it also underscores the reality that regardless of how different our life experiences are, we are all on the same trajectory to share in the experience of getting older.
Communities and legislatures are starting to get the point and take steps to become more age friendly.
She also points out that older and younger people also share a desire for many of the same community assets.
“Instead of asking older people to adapt, we need to look at ways we can adapt to their needs, many of which are the same that younger people want. Friendly street crossings, for example, help people with disabilities or adaptive equipment, and they are also friendly for parents with strollers and those on bicycles. Both younger and older people want walkable communities and to feel connected to the community. Efforts we take to support policies that promote these things support all of us as we age.”
Kowalczyk’s presentation will be offered during the annual meeting of United Senior Services from 1:30 to 3 p.m. at USS on Thursday, April 27. It is open to the public.
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