‘We need action’: Push to eradicate ageism in Australia takes centre stage

Oct 10, 2023
Ageism significantly affects the lives of numerous Australians, particularly in areas such as elder care, healthcare access, employment opportunities. Source: Getty Images.

Advocacy group COTA Australia is calling on the Federal Government to take the lead in combating the pervasive issue of ageism, with the aim of enhancing the quality of life for older Australians.

The call comes in the wake of Ageism Awareness Day on Saturday, October 7 which aims to highlight the widespread incidence of ageism and its impact.

The day serves as a stark reminder that ageism significantly affects the lives of numerous Australians, particularly in areas such as elder care, healthcare access, employment opportunities, and plays a significant role in the occurrence of elder abuse.

A recent EveryAGE Counts survey of 1000 people aged over 50 explored attitudes towards ageism and people’s experience with it.

The findings of the survey revealed that:

  • 68 per cent of all over-50s agree “ageism against older people is a serious problem in Australia” (73 per cent of those aged 60-69).
  • 74 per cent of all over-50s believe Australia is “not doing enough to raise awareness of ageism and fight against it”.
  • 58 per cent of over-50s want “a government campaign to raise awareness about ageism and its effects”.
  • People in their 60s are the most likely older Australians to have experienced ageism in the past year – 37 per cent versus 26 per cent for over-50s more generally.
  • 36 per cent of over-50s say “People have assumed I cannot understand or learn new technology” and 50 per cent of those aged 90 and over.
  • 21 per cent of over-50s say “People have insisted on doing things for me that I am capable of doing on my own'”(35 per cent of over-90s).
  • 28 per centof 50-59 year olds say “My applications for jobs have been rejected because of my age”.
  • 25 per cent of those in their 50s and 25 per cent of those in their 60s say “I have been made to feel like I am too old for my work”.
  • 8 per cent of 50-59 year olds say “I have been denied health services or treatment because of my age”, but that figure leaps to 20 per cent among those 90+.
  • 28 per cent of over-50s say “I have been ignored or made to feel invisible”.
  • 11 per cent say “doctors and healthcare workers talk past me to my companion or carer”, but that figure is 27 per cent among 90+ year olds.

With alarming figures such as these, COTA Australia CEO Patricia Sparrow is calling on the Federal Government to take immediate action to address ageism head-on, including the development of a government strategy on ageing that includes strategies and policies to tackle ageism and age discrimination.

“There are some really positive, practical steps that our Federal Government could take today to push things in the right direction when it comes to addressing ageism,” Sparrow said.

“Reducing ageism in public policy, workplaces and in the community will unlock the experience and talent of older people to the benefit of everyone.”

Sparrow emphasised the need to tackle ageism in the workplace, pointing out it’s a clear and crucial area that demands immediate attention.

“The Federal Government’s recent employment whitepaper recognised the impact of ageism on the workforce and the economy broadly. There’s a real opportunity off the back of that to implement some practical programs to reduce ageism in the workplace,” Sparrow said.

“COTA’s State of the Older Nation survey found that 35% of older Australians have experienced some form of age-related discrimination since turning 50 and around a quarter say they’ve experienced employment-related discrimination.

“We know that one in three recruiters are open about their hesitancy in hiring an older person. The problem is clear, the action we need to take is clear, and the benefits for every generation of taking action are also clear.

“We need to improve our employment system for older people to create an age diverse workforce with all the benefits that come from that. ”

Sparrow added that “older Australians are a valuable resource” and that by ignoring ageism “we’re robbing future Australians of all the benefits that come from the intergenerational exchange and understanding in our broader communities”.

“We need action and Ageism Awareness Day is the perfect time to kick start that,” Sparrow said.

 

 

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