OVERCOMING AGEISM

In a recent poll of health experts, 80% of older adults reported that they commonly experience ageism in their dayto-day lives, including ageist messages and ageism in interpersonal interactions. Many even reported experiencing internalized ageism, recognizing that they had come to believe the negative stereotypes. "At a certain age in my life, I discovered that I was fighting the battle of positive self-esteem. I was shocked because making it through primary school and those awkward teenage years, I thought that I had won the battle of feeling insecure! I wanted to believe that at 55 years of age; I'd earned my place in this world and the R-E-S-P-E-C-T that comes with it! At work, I noticed that I was being called 'auntie' and 'momma-bear'. Now on their own, these are not bad words except for when they are euphemisms for old age.

I reached out to the FPI Network to set up DEI workshops with the goal of reducing inequality, systemic discrimination, and microaggressions. Experts warned that ageism appears to be the last acceptable prejudice. Divisively pitting generation against generation is unhealthy for our culture, and more people are making an effort to examine and discard stereotypes about older adults. Eliminating ageism, along with biased bigotry leads to healthier work-life benefits. Observing chronic health conditions in my seasoned colleagues living with the effects of prejudice is stressful, and stress raises the risk of heart disease, depression, dementia, and disability. And older adults with internalized ageist attitudes might believe that health problems are just typical, part of growing older rather than conditions that can be addressed and overcome for a peaceful long life.

Ageism is an added burden for people living with other forms of prejudice. Throw discrimination in only further negatively affects their emotional, and mental well-being. As a Black woman who has faced employment bias to be even more disadvantaged by age my heart breaks because we live in a society that is comfortable with subtle and stigmatizing stereotypes about groups that have long served as the pillars and stalwarts of our communities. Knowing that I couldn't change the world, I changed my focus onto being a healthy, beautifully graceful me.