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Discrimination of the elderly free essays
Discrimination against the elderly
Discrimination against older people
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Abstract
This paper offers an insight on the types of age discrimination the elderly population face. The extent of this paper is to address some of the most common issues that are affecting the lives of our aging population. Various examples are given in hopes of opening the eyes of the reader to discrimination and bringing about change to enrich the lives of the elderly. Reflections of Discrimination in the Elderly Population Discrimination of the elderly happens all over the world. Many people use discriminative words to incorrectly report on the elderly. What many people tend to forget, is that despite their age, seniors are people full of life that are merely experiencing senescence, a change, that if we all live long enough, we will all experience. In this paper, I will explore how the elderly are treated and address some of the issues such as ageism, racism, sexism, poverty and heterosexism that effect their way of life.
Ageism
Ageism, in our youth
Poverty is a huge problem in the senior population and it greatly impacts their quality of life. Poverty isn’t selective, it doesn’t discriminate, it affects all races and sexes in every part of the world. One of the biggest factors, in the United States, pushing the elderly into poverty is the cost of healthcare (Williamson, 2013, para 5). Another issue driving the elderly into poverty is the lack of affordable housing options. Oftentimes, people end up spending a huge amount of their life savings and retirement on housing, leaving them with very little to afford life’s essentials. In my opinion, finding a solution to affordable healthcare and housing would be a step in the right direction. It would greatly help if more healthcare facilities would offer care on a sliding scale to seniors based on income. This would help seniors who can’t afford medical care, obtain care on a more frequent
A new criterion for the ideal person must be made to not include things such as sex, but to judge a person based on his or her capabilities in doing what he or she does. The question remains on the support for equal treatment based on age, which is a very controversial debate, as factors such as higher wage from experience, or even having the contemporary knowledge for a certain job. One thing is for sure though, on a common view that as people reach old age, they become physically weaker, which may cause employers to not want to hire seniors that needs money to get by, which goes to show how there are many seniors out on the streets searching through public garbage cans for recycles in exchange for a meager income - with an out of portion amount of seniors of colour in such a circumstances goes to show an obvious language barrier still prominent throughout society. What amounts to a “fair” and “equal” treatment of the
Stereotypes affect the day to day living of the elderly, whether it is through job attainment and sustainability, access and use of healthcare, and overall personal autonomy. Due to the current aging population the government of Canada has eliminated the mandatory retirement age and is looking to raise the retirement age (Minichiello, Browne, & Kendig, 2000), from 65 to at least 70, to ensure financial stability for all in the long term (Novac et al., 2014). From the elimination of a mandatory retirement age the older workers have been subject to experience discrimination and stereotypes due to the ability to work for longer periods. Currently for every five working age people (15yrs-64yrs) there is one aged worker (65+yrs) and it is predicted that by 2050 one in less than three (estimated 2.5) will be an aged worker (Government of Canada, 2012). Positive stereotypes include a great knowledge base and the ability to perform certain tasks through experience (Greenlees, Webb, Hall, & Manley, 2007). Negative stereotypes include being frail and in poor physical shape to perform laborious tasks leading to a lack of produ...
Age discrimination has become more than a minor inconvenience throughout the twentieth century; indeed, the issue has become such a hot potato within the workplace that laws have been forced into existence as a means by which to address the problem. In order to help protect those who stand to be singled out and let go because of the unfairness of ageism, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) was designed with the older employee in mind.
Elderly folks are eminently mature and have the finest instinct about what is right and wrong though It’s challenging to change someone’s point of view in a matter like this. When such injustice takes place, it de-motivates senior workers from their work. In an article over Ageists by Vincent J Roscigno, he states facts about different views on older Americans in general and in workplaces such as, “most of the population consists of biases and preconceptions, and the accused are unashamed in their views of older Americans. Those who believe that younger employees have much more value than senior employees are inserting a strong assumption based on their age. “Ageist attitudes and discrimination is what results in lower levels of overall organizational commitment to older workers, and a “push” out of a particular workplace.” Just because of an older employee’s depiction, such unfairness circulates in workplaces which cause false impressions of older
Writers John Stossel and Frank Mastropolo, both working as a correspondent and journalist in ABC News, open their article highlighting the accomplishments of Bruce Marrow, a radio personality legend who “has been on the air for decades,” “Introduced the Beatles at the New York Shea’s Stadium,” and “was credited with helping push oldies station WCBS-FM to number one” (Stossel). However, the writers ended the paragraph talking about how legend Bruce Marrow, despite his endeavors, had been abruptly fired without any warning three years ago. They then continue to apply the same scenario to Kansas City DJ’s Max Floyd and Tanna Guthrie from 99.7 KY. The main reason why Stossel and his co-writer had decided to brusquely end the first paragraph of the article, it is not to embarrass Bruce Marrow or Max Floyd or Tanna Guthrie, but instead, to identify whether it is fair for people to get fired, even after they help build a company, just because they are getting old. The writer’s thesis starts off effective, but the bitter, harsh tone undoes its effectiveness.
Aging is universal and it is a process that everyone has to go through. The only difference is that everyone goes through this process at their own pace influenced by factors that will be discussed later on in this paper. When we think about factors that have an influence on older adults and how their life may be affected, we must consider the different social institutions while analyzing influences from social factors, cultural factors, and personal values. Abuse to older adults, stereotyping and informal care and technological advancements that affect older adults are the three topics that will be discussed in this reflection. Furthermore, will connect the three topics I have chosen to the knowledge that I have gained from my interaction
African American senior citizens face a health care crisis too. They have worked all of their lives to secure retirement, but their retirement has been threatened because of the rising cost of long-term medical care. Insurance companies have failed to provide affordable long-term care, protection that most senior citizens need. This lack of long term care and affordability has been a serious problem for the health care system. In some cities, the shortage of hospital beds is so serious that it is common for patients to stay in emergency rooms before they can be admitted to an inpatient room (Drake 109). More than one thousand hospital beds are occupied by people who could be better care for in nursing homes or through home health care (Drake 110). Of the disabled elderly 1.3 million reside in nursing homes (Drake 10). These patients are unable to perform two or more of the basic activities of daily living without assistance.
I have been a Registered Nurse for over thirty-three years, nursing is my passion. I personally would like to continue to work as a nurse, until I am no longer physically or mentally able to. I am a sixty-five year old woman, working as a bedside nurse in a community hospital. I do not imagine myself doing anything else, but to continue to work as a registered nurse. I remained very active in my personal life and at work. My age has not slowed me down at all, and I continue to work effectively. However, lately at work, I have noticed that management has not offered or considered me for a promotion because they are being offered only to the younger nurses. Also, I have noticed that patient assignments have been easier than usual. Some younger nurses are making comments that the older nurses get the easier assignments, because we are older and unable to handle the workload. Furthermore, I
The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 is an act that was passed that clearly states that employers can’t be discriminate against someone based on their age 40 and older. The older adults are trying so hard to hold onto their jobs with dear life, because if not they will be nudged out and pushed aside. Not because of anything but rather because of their age. Age discrimination is on the rise as young as 50 years old. Age discrimination can happen to anyone regardless of your race, ethnic backgrounds or sexual orientation. A study was published in the Journal of Age Ageing and in the report it said that British People 50 years old and older faces discrimination about one third of them. In a resent survey older adults says job insecurity
Age discrimination issue is getting serious with the modernization and industrialization of the United States. However, the issue did not catch policy makers’ attention until WWII (1939-1945). The following part shows the time prior the Age Discrimination of Act 1967.
Today, world’s population is aging at a very fast pace and United States is no exception to this demographic change. According to the U.S Census Bureau, senior citizens will be accounted for 21% of the American population in 2050 (Older Americans, 2012). Although living longer lives may not seem like a negative sign, living longer does not necessarily mean living healthier. Older adults of today are in need of long-term and health care services more than any generation before them (Older Americans, 2012). Because of the growing need for senior care, millions of families are facing critical decisions on how to provide care for their parents. In addition, declining birthrates may cause people to have less familial care and support as they age. To be able to provide the necessary care for senior citizens government funded long term care insurance program is needed.
305). Society is constantly bombarded by messages informing us about how to reduce the signs of aging, instead of accepting the natural process (Germov, 2014, p. 305). These beliefs have lead to ageism being very common in society. Ageism is best defined as the negative attitudes, which are associated with the aging process (Novak, 2006, p. 3). Ageism involves an individual or group being stereotyped and experiencing discrimination due to their biological age (Novak, 2006, p. 3). This discrimination can be direct or indirect discrimination, victimisation or harassment (Johnson, 2013, p. 27). Unlike other individuals and groups who are stereotyped and discriminated against, those who are making these comments will one day themselves be of old
The Elderly individuals face problems like Ageism. The older society is not given the same options in treatment as the younger society. The Elderly who battle cancer do not receive chemotherapy like the younger generation. Some people believe that doctors are genuinely worried about their patients and others believe that age discrimination is the reason of treatment discrepancy (Dockter & Keene, 2009).
America is a country where everyone is free to live however they like, but it is possible for some people to live a happy life, if no one is around to take care of them. Nearly three hundred million people reside in the America, and out of those three hundred million populations, senior citizens make a 12 percent of the entire population. A senior citizen is commonly known as a person who is over the age of 65 and living on retirement, or known as social security benefits (Census Bureau). Ever since Franklin D. Roosevelt implied the act of Social Security in 1935, seniors are regularly provided a financial help, but seniors, along with financial help, seeks also accompany of someone who can look after them. Because of constantly growing needs of senior citizens, government as well as many non-profit organizations is working on helping seniors. Therefore I decided to research on this particular issue in my community, and I found that 64.5% of seniors are living alone in metropolitan area of Atlanta.
Another study and test with the purpose to empirically test this hypothesis by estimating different effect of age discriminations policies on older women and older men in the work force. The results in this study found huge differences between older women and older men in retirement and employment, which lead to the point that more discriminatory laws should be implemented to protect older women.