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Week 1 Disccussion Post - GERO 100 7380 Contemporary Issues in Aging (2208) Over a century ago, only 4% of the population in the United States represented people ages 65 and older (OpenStax College, 2014). Due to many factors, including advances in medicine and science over the past several decades, the life expectancy of older adults in the USA increased (Crash Course, 2017). In 2013, 13% of the population was categorized as old (OpenStax College, 2014) and the country was experiencing a decrease in fertility rates (Gerontology UGA, 2015). With longer life expectancy as well as less children being born, the elderly population in the USA is predicted to represent 1 in every 5 people or 20% of the population by 2050 (Crash Course, 2017). As mentioned previously, life expectancy has increased in recent years but there are still variations among people based on their gender, race, age and ethnicity that further determine more exact life expectancy expectations. According to an article entitled Theoretical perspectives on ageing, gender and race affect life expectancy more than age alone (OpenStax College, 2014). Women in almost every country, including the US, outlive men and white women tend to live the longest (OpenStax College, 2014). Additionally, minority groups and those that live in rural areas received less financial compensation in retirement than their white counterparts (OpenStax College, 2014) which could affect the comfort in which those groups age as well as access to health care.

Typically, there are community resources available to older adults

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such as companies that help with transportation needs, social and creative outlets at senior community centers as well as exercise classes that are specifically tailored to help preserve strength in aging bodies at different health centers. Future community resources as well as the ability to deliver them will be challenged by the growing number of seniors as this will have increased financial and physical (staffing) implications (OpenStax College, 2014). A final consideration on this point also includes changing winds in the political arena. The government currently helps to fund many senior programs and resources available to them and as things continue to change politically, the importance of these programs and financial resources may also diminish if they are not protected (OpenStax College, 2014).

Historical events affect cohorts of people for years to come. Although the pandemic with COVID-19 is still a thing of the present I believe that it will be a major historical event with rippling impacts. As an individual and a generation our lives have been affected in 2020 with increased isolation, heightened awareness of sanitary practices as well as perhaps shifting views on hospitalization and disease itself. In an age where there is often a treatment for many infections, a disease that is first introduced without any treatment can be daunting, especially as our generation continues to age and faces what the future holds.

For an older adult living in a state with a large population of older people there would be some strong advantages such as the likelihood of many resources and social spheres geared specifically toward that age group. Ideally living in a large older community may also provide support, comfort and comradery without as much negative feedback from surrounding society about aging. Conversely living in a large

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older population also brings with it the reality that many friends and neighbors will be passing away and an individual may feel isolated in an aging community as everyone around him/her is old and perhaps this would be depressing rather than uplifting.

For the person from a younger generation living in a state with a large older population, these dynamics could provide an excellent opportunity to learn and grow from such a wealth of knowledge and experience that many elderly people possess from their decades on Earth. It may also help that individual to understand and appreciate ageing adults in a way that their peers in a different setting may not have grasped. However, for many younger people, the idea of living with a largely older community may seem unappealing and stifling as they are not with large groups of their own peers. Like the older adult living in this community, for the young person there would also be the element of sadness that comes with living with frequent loss.

Ageism refers to “stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination against people on the basis of their age” (World Health Organization [WHO], 2018). I have witnessed and been guilty of ageism myself. An example of ageism would be talking to the elderly in over simplified terms as if they were a child (Gerontology UGA, 2015). Another would be assuming that my grandmother should not be driving simply because of her age (there are legitimate reason some older people should not drive but it should not be a generalization). A common error for me is assuming most older people are hard of hearing. While that is sometimes true it is not always true. Therefore, when I speak very loudly, assuming an older person can not hear me well simply because they are old, that can be insulting. Ageism is damaging to the ageing population because what might be true for a small segment of the

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elderly is then assumed of them as a whole and it can affect their view of themselves as well as their ability to interact in society beyond these stereotypes and prejudices (Palmore, 2005). Finally, ageism is damaging to society as whole because it holds the elderly to a false and narrow image therefore crippling society’s impressions and subsequently their interactions with the elderly (Palmore, 2005).

References

Crash Course (2017, Dec. 4). Age & aging: Crash course sociology #36 [Video file]. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=kJ18whKduFo

Gerontology UGA (2015, April 16). What is gerontology? [Video file] Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=135uCWSG3N0

OpenStax College (2014). The process of aging (p. 1-14). Rice University, available from Connexions Creative Commons.

Palmore, E. (2005). Three decades of research on ageism. Generations, 29(3), 87-90.

World Health Organization. (2018, April). Ageism. https://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/96/4/17- 202424/en/#:~:text=The%20World%20Health%20Organization%20 %28WHO%29%20defines%20ageism%20as,too%20young%20to%2 0be%20or%20to%20do%20something.

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