From The Advocate, December, 2012

Return to The Advocate December, 2012 selected articles page

Getting older means having to get bolder

Published December 2012 - Discrimination against seniors has reached pervasive and sinister levels in Canada, according to a survey conducted by Leger Marketing.

“Retired workers are no strangers to fighting discrimination,” says Diane Wood, President of BC FORUM. “We’ve spent a good part of our lives fighting racism, sexism and the worst excesses of capitalism. We’ve fought for and won social programs and public services that promote equality and opportunities for all Canadians.

“The Leger survey makes it clear that we and our allies in the community and the union movement will have to work equally hard to combat pervasive ageism and create more age-friendly communities,” she says.

“Seniors today are living longer and healthier lives. We have years of experience in fighting for social justice, and many of us are continuing that fight well into our 80s and 90s. We may all be getting older, but we’re also getting bolder in standing up for what’s right.”

The survey found that ageism has become “the most tolerated” form of discrimination in Canada. It found that 80 percent of Canadians believe seniors aged 76 and older are viewed as “less important” and 35 percent admit they’ve treated someone “differently” because of their age.

“It is particularly troublesome when seniors are treated differently by governments and the health care system,” says Wood. “It is just not acceptable when doctors write off things that can be fixed as just part of growing old. “There are thousands of dedicated health care providers who provide excellent service in home support, residential care and acute care regardless of age. But there are times when the health care system needs to do much better.”

The experience of one BC FORUM member illustrates the point. When his father suffered a minor stroke, he accompanied him to a hospital emergency ward. Although they were standing side by side, the doctor entirely ignored the father, and addressed all questions to the son.

“It was ridiculous and offensive,” said the member. “I had to turn to him to answer the questions. My father is fully capable, and twice as smart as I’ll ever be. Yet the doctor kept talking to me as though my father was a potted plant.”

The survey confirmed such treatment is far too common:

• 41 percent of seniors said they had been ignored or treated as though they were invisible.

• 38 percent said they had been treated like they had nothing to contribute.

• 27 percent said people had assumed seniors are incompetent. The sources of discrimination identified by seniors show how pervasive ageism is in our society:

• 56 percent said discrimination primarily comes from people younger than them.

• 27 percent said they’d experienced discrimination from government.

• 34 percent said they’d been discriminated against by the health care system.

Canadians are not alone in this trend. Ageism is a growing social issue around the world. For example, the European Social Survey recently found that 46 per cent of respondents from 28 countries had experienced age-related prejudice.

“There are many cultures that value the knowledge and experience of elders, including the First Nations of North America. The unfortunate mainstream obsession with youth – and all the marketing gimmicks that are supposed to keep people young forever – ignores the fact that every wrinkle and laugh line is a mark of victory,” says Wood.

“If we’re lucky, we all grow older. The number of seniors in Canada will double within 25 years. This survey shows that we still have a lot to do to eliminate discrimination and build age-friendly communities. Through our years in the labour movement, we’ve learned how to tackle such issues together. We’ll show others – and particularly governments and the health care system – that we are far from invisible, and will not tolerate being ignored.”