2. Definition of Ageism Process of systematic stereotyping and discrimination against individuals based on age Robinson (1994)
3. Negative Ageism What are some examples of positive and negative age stereotypes affecting the elderly? What are some examples of positive and negative age stereotypes affecting young people?
4. Institutional Ageism Higher federal poverty standards Job training for young workers State welfare funds for children & adolescents Health care system focus on acute care Robinson (1994)
15. Elder Abuse Between 1 and 3 million Americans aged 65+ have been mistreated by a caregiver 1 out of 6 incidents of abuse is reported Only 21 states maintain an elder abuse registry 5 million older Americans are victims of financial exploitation each year Ageism in America: The Status Reports (2006)
16. Ageism in Health Care Lack of preventive care 35% of physicians consider an increase in blood pressure to be a normal process of aging; 60% of adults over 65 do not receive recommended preventive health services such as mammograms, vaccines, exam Lack of effective treatment provision Chemotherapy is underused in treating breast cancer patients over 65, even though it can improve survival Lack of adequate health research Older patients are significantly underrepresented in clinical treatment trials; 40% of clinical trials excluded individuals over 75 from participating Lack of training In 2005, Congress eliminated all funding for geriatrics education and training, which had previously been funded at 31.5 million per year. Ageism in America: The Status Reports (2006)
17. Ageism in Nursing Homes 9 out of 10 nursing homes are inadequately staffed Over half of the 17,000 nursing homes in the US fail to meet minimum standards, but only .5% are cited and penalized for patterns of widespread problems that cause harm to residents Ageism in America: The Status Reports (2006)
18. Ageism in Emergency Services 60% of Hurricane Katrina’s victims were over age 60 About 80% of the individuals who die of heat-wave related hyperthermia each year are over age 50 Ageism in America: The Status Reports (2006)
19. Ageism in the Workplace 2004 EEOC ruling In 2004, the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ruled that employers can deny health benefits to retirees at age 65 without violating age discrimination laws To improve job prospects, 63% of applicants say they would leave dates off their resume to hide their age, and 18% say they would undergo cosmetic surgery Ageism in America: The Status Reports (2006)
20. Ageism in the Media Less than 2% of prime-time television characters are age 65 or older; this is the case despite the fact that this group comprises 12.7% of the population Ageist Gender Inequality 11% of male characters on tv between 50 and 64 are categorized as “old” verses 22% of female characters Only 1/3 of older characters on prime time tv are women Ageism in America: The Status Reports (2006)
