This paper provides an overview of ageism in Australia, examples (language, the media, elder abuse and workplace discrimination), advice on how to stop it and further resources.
A human rights issue
Ageism can be defined as a process of stereotyping and discriminating against a person or people, simply because they are older. Ageism is endemic in our society. Older people often feel patronized or ‘invisible’ and can find it much harder to get or maintain a job, access healthcare, services or housing, or enjoy any manner of things our community has to offer because of how their age is judged. In an Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) study, for example, 71 percent of Australian adults over 65 reported that they had been insulted or mistreated on the basis of their age.
With Australia’s – and the global – population getting older, ageism is a serious human rights issue for us all.
Elder abuse is one of the worst manifestations of ageism. Elder abuse is defined as any act which causes harm to an older person and is carried out by someone in a position of trust – most often a family member. The abuse may be physical, social, financial, psychological or sexual and can include mistreatment and neglect. While elder abuse is vastly under-reported, the World Health Organisation estimates up to 10 per cent of older people worldwide experience it.
There are some notional protections for older people in Australia. The Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006 sets out basic human rights, for example, and the Federal Age Discrimination Act 2004 protects individuals from discrimination on the basis of age in many areas of public life, including employment, education, accommodation and the provision of goods and services. There are also some laws and services in place that can respond to elder abuse. However, in practice, the laws are not strongly implemented, do not tackle all forms of age discrimination and do not directly address the ageist attitudes and stereotypes – including those in the media – which underpin so many hurtful actions every day.