Ageism: Gerontology and Excellent Role Models Essay

Kenneth Epps
PSY203-41-Lake City

How have attitudes about the elderly changed in the last 100 years?

The population of Americans who are over the age of 60 is growing at a rapid pace, yet society is still not embracing seniors. The elderly in America find themselves fighting stereotypes such as, ‘old geezer,’ or attempting to achieve an equal footing in this nation’s workplaces. Despite the efforts of advocates, people over the age of 60 in America find themselves dealing with ageism in this nation to this day. Today, elderly people in the United States are isolated from the rest of the world. Most of them live in nursing homes where they are far away from their families. Others live by themselves where they have no family members visiting them and leaving them to take care of everything. Some researchers believe that ageism, in the form of negative stereotypes, directly affects longevity. Ageism robs seniors of choice, independence, and dignity and negatively impacts their quality of life. For many older people, ageism surfaces most painfully in the context of health care. The elderly are less likely to receive preventive care and often lack access to doctors trained in their needs. Older patients are often viewed by health professionals as set in their ways and unable to change their behavior. Mental health problems, such as cognitive impairment or psychological disorders caused at least in part by complex pharmacological treatments often go unrecognized and

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Ageism: Gerontology and Excellent Role Models Essay

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