Some cultures revere their elders as pillars of family and community as well as great sources of wisdom with a wealth of lifetime experience to draw from.
Yet all too many people in the West, it seems, dismiss them as a societal burden.
Prevalent ageist attitudes permeate public perception, says Shoshannah Brechtel, project lead for Sundre’s coordinated community response to address elder abuse. During an Oct. 22 presentation to council, she said some 63 per cent of seniors report being treated unfairly or differently because of their age and 79 per cent feel seen as less important. About 20 per cent perceive seniors as a cumbersome drain on society, she added.
Unfortunately, these kinds of prejudiced preconceptions of older people all too often lead to some form of neglect or abuse, ranging from financial exploitation to physical or psychological mistreatment. Studies suggest that 10 per cent of seniors will experience some form of elder abuse and very few instances will actually be reported, said Brechtel.
Short of a substantial societal and cultural shift in attitudes, this disturbing trend is unlikely to abate any time soon as the population is steadily aging. By 2032, the number of seniors in the province is expected to double. Sundre, meanwhile, already has twice the average senior population compared with other communities in Alberta, she said.
“Experts understand the severity, the scope and the extent of the issue that we’re up against, but the public is largely unfamiliar,” she said.
“The topic of elder abuse does not hold a prominent place at this point on the national public agenda, nor on public discourse.”
That needs to change, and I’m glad people such as Brechtel are working to raise awareness about this issue.
Once upon a time before becoming a journalist, I at one point sold cameras. I was always pleasantly surprised when an older customer would express a keen desire to learn the more complicated cameras boasting a plethora of features.
And I was always somewhat stunned when a younger customer seemed petrified by the prospect of having more than a couple of automatic preprogrammed buttons or functions to learn.
The point is some people remain mentally youthful well into their golden years, retaining an interest in always growing and keeping an open mind while learning new things. On the other hand, some individuals seem to decide much earlier on in life that they have learned everything they need to without giving a second thought to making an effort to adapt and change with the times.
Passing judgement on someone based on nothing more than the person’s age is undoubtedly something we are all occasionally guilty of. But the more we become aware of this, the more we can challenge such stereotypes.
And along the way, bridging generational gaps and building understanding will undoubtedly play an important part in reducing elder abuse.
