Ageism, a public health problem: “Aging is not deteriorating”

Aminta Ruiz, 85, has felt excluded because of her age at various recent times in her life. She remembers when she went to ask for a financial benefit for a professional project and she had to insist to be assisted. She says that sometimes doctors and lawyers address the elderly differently because they believe they do not understand them. “For this I have headphones and glasses,” she explains. In Spain, 45% of the population has reported being discriminated against because of their age, according to the United Nations World Ageism Report (UN), published in 2021. This term, referring to marginalization due to age, entered the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy a year ago. To overcome this segregation, Ruiz teaches painting, drawing and embroidery classes in the Senior Citizens Program of the La Caixa Foundation: “It is the way to take over the world and not let it take over me.”

The lead author of this UN study, Vânia de la Fuente-Núñez, insists that this age discrimination is a public health problem and a structural reality throughout the world, although it predominates more strongly in low-income countries. . One in three people in Europe has been a victim of ageism. This behavior can cause an earlier death and a deterioration in the physical and mental health of those who suffer from it. Quality of life suffers from social isolation and unwanted loneliness, as explained by this specialist in healthy aging.

For De la Fuente-Núñez, the two population sectors most affected by ageism are the young and the elderly: “In the work environment, employees who are around 20 years old are considered inexperienced and those who are 60 go through a stage in which they become “He believes his experience is no longer relevant.” In Spain there are about 850,000 people over 50 years of age who are unemployed, according to the Foundation for Applied Economic Studies (Fedea).

Ruiz, of Colombian origin, also encountered professional obstacles, although he managed to overcome them. He has lived since 2012 in Terrassa (Barcelona), where he moved for health reasons and to be close to his children. After feeling strongly uprooted when he moved to another country, he did not hesitate to contact the La Caixa Foundation, where he now gives workshops to older people, on a voluntary basis. “I wanted to continue in the working world and make relationships to continue with my projects, but society puts barriers in place when you reach an age because they think you are no longer productive,” she says.

In the field of mental health, older people are also relegated to the background. Suicides among this population are increasing, but “many times they do not receive prevention campaigns,” explains De la Fuente-Núñez, who directed the World Health Organization's Global Campaign against ageism. This segregation manifests itself in institutions, in relationships with others and with oneself, and can lead to a self-inflicted stereotype. For this reason, there are people who decide to stop taking the prescribed medication or not take care of their diet because “they associate old age with a period of illness.”

These preconceived ideas lead to discriminatory behavior. For this reason, the psychogerontologist Montserrat Celdrán, author of the Glossary on Ageism from the La Caixa Foundationexplains that older people have not only been marginalized from professional or leisure activities, but also from treatments.

The expert refers to the existence of reports that generalize the consequences of a type of drug for the entire population over 65, without specifying further within that broad age range. “The effects may not be the same in a 75″ person as in a 90″ person, she reproaches.

Celdrán adds that in the field of technology and sexuality, older people are also excluded and, consequently, are kept away from statistics and social policies on these topics. “There is less monitoring of sexually transmitted diseases in this population because they are homogenized in a group that no longer maintains relationships, when they are very diverse,” he clarifies.

With the glossary, published on June 15, World Day of Awareness of Abuse and Maltreatment in Old Age, the psychogerontologist aims for society to “change the way it approaches older people.” She collected more than 1,500 expressions that made participants in the La Caixa Foundation workshops feel bad and extracted a list of constructions to avoid because they “infantilize, depersonalize and dehumanize.”

The catalog includes the term elderspeak, referring to the way in which adults unconsciously address older people with slow, elevated and simple intonation. “It's as if you consider them less and you have to adapt the message so that they can understand you,” says Celdrán. He explains that this leads to normalized discriminatory situations, for example, when the doctor does not consult with the elderly person, who is the patient, but rather with his companion.

The psychogerontologist also explains that this group sometimes feels infantilized. For this reason, she advises avoiding the generalized use of diminutives and possessives. Referring to them as “old men” or “grandfathers” is not correct. “Within an adult relationship, between equals, it places them in a situation of inferiority and, therefore, they lose authority to be able to defend their ideas and decide for themselves,” the expert clarifies. Although the tone of voice that accompanies it is usually affectionate and well-intentioned, the final impact is harmful.

The expression “our elders”, which had its peak in the Covid
-19 pandemic, implies a possession that exudes paternalism with a risk of making decisions for them in different matters, according to Celdrán. On the other hand, the words “retired” or “senior” are not appropriate if used generically. “They are associated with those who watch the play or play petanque,” ​​explains the author of the glossary, after clarifying that many people who are 80 years old have a very active life.

Enrique Boronat, 71, feels that society, in a way, corners older people because productivity is prioritized. “Not only do we have that value, we contribute a lot,” he insists. He is a volunteer in the Always Accompanying program of the La Caixa Foundation in Murcia to combat unwanted loneliness and participates in the Friends Readers workshop, also of this entity.

Ruiz insists that “aging is not deteriorating.” He created the Arcala Foundation in the countryside of Latin America to help people “express themselves through art,” published two books in recent years, and this month presented his creations in an exhibition. Although he has lost a lot of vision, he does not stop sewing because, consequently, he has developed more touch. “If I can do it, so can the other adults. By creating their own works they are empowered to speak at home, think or act for themselves and say no, if they disagree,” he explains. In 2021 she was awarded by Barcelona City Council for this work.

The director of the La Caixa Foundation's Senior Citizens Program, David Velasco, which serves 426,787 people throughout Spain, insists that “language must be taken care of because it builds thought.” He remembers seeing advertisements where talent is sought, but people over a certain age are asked to abstain. To overcome these prejudices, it develops free personal growth training, social participation and volunteering activities, programs to combat unwanted loneliness, New Technology classes, with more than 530 cyber classrooms aimed at overcoming the digital divide, and workshops to encourage creativity in older people.

The UN guide of recommendations to address this discrimination insists on transversal policies and legislative measures, educational activities to dispel misconceptions and intergenerational social interventions.

Age gained importance in the Spanish legal system in 2022 with the Comprehensive Law for Equal Treatment and Non-Discrimination, which establishes that no one may be discriminated against based on age, among other assumptions. For De la Fuente-Núñez it is an important step, but he believes that there is still a long way to go, especially in regards to public awareness. “Society thinks that you train, produce and then you don't do anything, but you learn until the day you die,” concludes Ruiz.

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