Ageism in Late Adulthood Discussion

• Explain why ageism is a self-fulfilling prophecy in Late Adulthood?
• Give two examples of ageism and discuss the situation in which they happened

Please reply to the following posts, 200 words minimum per post.

Post 1

Chapter 23 discusses ageism and how ageism is a self-fulfilling prophecy in late adulthood. Ageism is described in the chapter as a prejudice whereby people ate judged solely on the basis of their chronological age. The suffix –ism is destructive. The harm of racism and sexism are well-known, and other -isms, notably ableism (the idea that those with disabilities are less worthy), are recognized as limiting human potential. Individual who suffer the sting of ageism may be blindsided and unprepared to counteract the prejudice they experience. Ageism is unrecognized but pervasive in the media, employment, and retirement communities.

Ageism becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. A self-fulfilling prophecy is a prediction that comes true because people believe it. There are three harmful consequences:

*If people of any age treat older people as if they are frail and confused, that treatment might make the aged more dependent om others.

*If people believe that the norms for young adults should apply to everyone, they may try to fix the old. If they fail, they give up.

*If older people themselves think that their age makes them feeble, they stop taking care of themselves and avoid social interaction, and that itself makes them age faster.

Two situations of ageism that I can think of is my grandmother/grandfather and a very good family friend who just recently passed away at the age of 100. My grandmother (maternal) and grandfather (paternal) are well into their 80’s. For as long as I remember, they have always been very independent. My maternal grandmother was also very independent. They cook, clean, drive, and pay their own bills. My grandparents do not let their age determine how they live their lives. They always tell me that until they unable to do for themselves, they will continue to live alone and solve their own problems. Another example of ageism I can think of is my grandmothers best friend who just recently passed. She has always felt that age was nothing more than a number. She dressed, spoke, and carried herself as if she were always 20 years younger than what she really was. Often times, people made it seem like she needed more than the average older person because of her advanced age. She would always remind others that being older did not mean she could not do things for herself. I laugh now, but I remember the times when I have called older women “senora” out of respect and they would quickly say “no me digas senora que me haces sentir vieja” with a smile on their face.

How ageism becomes the self-fulfilling prophecy is easy to see. When a person begins to believe that they are weak, feeble, or need others because of their age, they begin to act that way and eventually become it. Attitude is everything. The way we see the process of aging and the way we act about it plays a huge role in the quality of life we have as we age. Attitudes towards aging may be one reason that longevity varies markedly depending on where a person lives. For example, Japan has the highest life expectancy in the world, perhaps because of cultural practices such as Respect for the Aged Day, when everyone is supposed to heed the wisdom of the aged.