Have you ever heard an older person being referred to as a “little old lady”? Or “adorable” and “cute”? These are phrases and words that imply frailness, weakness and lack of maturity. The World Health Organisation reports that ageism has far reaching impacts on all aspects of our health and well-being when we are older. It can be associated with poor physical and mental health and a lower quality of life. Ageism can certainly be conveyed in the way we speak of and behave towards older people in our communities. Anti-ageing advocacy campaign Every AGE counts recently launched a guide as part of its goal to end ageism against older Australians. The guide provides good advice on what language and behaviours we can use to ensure older people are respected. Follow the link below.
https://assets.nationbuilder.com/benevolent/pages/667/attachments/original/1664932306/A1522_EAC_LanguageGuide_PRINT.pdf?1664932306