At our breakfast networking session on June 21st, Brigid Wilkinson of Council of the Aging (COTA) will talk to us about the value of aged personnel to your business.
“Ageism is stereotyping, discrimination and mistreatment based solely upon age. When directed towards older people, it comes from negative attitudes and beliefs about what it means to be older.” EveryAGE Counts.
It can be as simple as excluding older people in conversations, making assumptions about their abilities or using patronising language. What makes ageism different from other ‘isms’ is that it is discrimination against our younger or older selves. After all, each of us has been younger and will (hopefully) become older – how do you want to be treated as you age?
As more people live longer, the number of people affected by ageism and elder abuse will increase, so it’s more important than ever that we raise awareness and challenge negative attitudes towards ageing. People aged over 50years now account for 40.08% of Tasmania’s population (2021 Census) and yet we often don’t stop to think about planning for and aspiring to build age friendly communities that ensure older Tasmanians can live a full life as they age.
Working within businesses and organisations who aim to provide inclusive and supportive services and programs, it’s important to consider how your organisation views ageing, what it is doing to promote a positive view of ageing, and what simple steps we can all take as individuals to minimise ageism – professionally and personally.
COTA Tasmania look forward to exploring this with you, sharing best practice as examples to consider.
