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Katy Miles
3rd Year Marketing Major Contact: kcm46049@uga.edu How did I get involved with IMPACT? At the beginning of my freshman year, a close friend and mentor encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and sign up for an IMPACT trip. That spring, I went on the youth empowerment trip to Orlando, and it was without a doubt the highlight of my year! Since then, I have continued my involvement with IMPACT because there is truly nothing like experiencing a week of service learning with some of the most caring and passionate people at UGA. Why am I interested in my trip focus? I am so excited to serve as a site leader for the Ageism trip because of the focus’ broad nature. Ageism can affect multiple groups of people and easily intersects with other social issues. Also, ageism is the only universal “ism” - every person experiences it at some point in their life. Fun Fact! I have an unhealthy obsession with reality television. |
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Carlee Woodring
4th year Music Therapy Major Contact: cew31048@uga.edu How did I get involved with IMPACT? For two years I kept hearing about UGA IMPACT and the amazing trips the organization planned. Everyone told me how amazing their trips were, how much they learned about their social justice issue and about the community they served. I finally decided to sign up for a trip, and ended up going to Jackson, Mississippi for Disability Ability Awareness. We served organizations like Rideability, which helped children with disabilities learn to ride horses, Hope Hollow, which gave children with disabilities an opportunity to take part in summer camps. I learned so much, and I can’t wait to share more experiences with participants this year. Why am I interested in Ageism? As a Music Therapy major, I work with children and adults of all ages and I can see the effects of ageism on people who are young and people who are old. Ageism is one form of discrimination that isn’t talked about or really thought about. There are many dimensions to Ageism, and as a Music Therapy major I have found that it is important to learn about ageism, its effect on society, and find ways to help people impacted by ageism and age discrimination. Fun Fact! While studying Music Therapy in Jamaica, I received a hand carved djembe. |
What is Ageism?
Key Definitions
Discrimination - The unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people or things, especially on the grounds of race, age, or sex
Ageism - Discrimination based on age
Elderspeak - Specialized speech style used by younger adults with older adults; characterized by simpler vocabulary and sentence structure, filler words, lexical fillers, overly-endearing terms, closed-ended questions, using the collective "we", repetition, and speaking more slowly
Infantilization - To treat or condescend as if someone is still a young child
Gerontology - The scientific study of old age and the process of aging
Gerontophobia - Fear of aging and even hatred of older people
Microaggressions - Brief and commonplace daily verbal, behavioral, and environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative slights and insults to the target person or group
Social Distance - A mechanism to measure prejudice; it represents the distinction between one’s own and others’ group identities
Hospice - A home providing care for the sick, especially the terminally ill
Fast Facts About Ageism
Ageism in the Workplace:
How Language Perpetuates Stereotypes:
Ageism and Healthcare:
Elder Abuse:
What does ageism look like in Athens or Georgia?
Key Definitions
Discrimination - The unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people or things, especially on the grounds of race, age, or sex
Ageism - Discrimination based on age
- Implicit Ageism - Thoughts, feelings and actions toward older adults that exist and operate without conscious awareness, intention or control
- Explicit Ageism - There is a conscious awareness, intention or control in the thoughts, feelings or actions of an institution, law or person in regards to the treatment or consideration of an older adult
- Internalized Ageism - a form of ingroup discrimination in which older adults marginalize and discriminate against other older people
Elderspeak - Specialized speech style used by younger adults with older adults; characterized by simpler vocabulary and sentence structure, filler words, lexical fillers, overly-endearing terms, closed-ended questions, using the collective "we", repetition, and speaking more slowly
Infantilization - To treat or condescend as if someone is still a young child
Gerontology - The scientific study of old age and the process of aging
Gerontophobia - Fear of aging and even hatred of older people
Microaggressions - Brief and commonplace daily verbal, behavioral, and environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative slights and insults to the target person or group
Social Distance - A mechanism to measure prejudice; it represents the distinction between one’s own and others’ group identities
Hospice - A home providing care for the sick, especially the terminally ill
Fast Facts About Ageism
Ageism in the Workplace:
- 64% of people say that they have either seen or experienced ageism in the workplace.
- Older workers receive less interview opportunities as well as less opportunities for on-the-job training and development.
- Throughout the past decade, age discrimination has become more prevalent in the workplace because employers see older workers as less competent with technology (71% of employers consider technology as an “inhibiting factor” for older workers).
How Language Perpetuates Stereotypes:
- Certain words and phrases that may seem harmless can actually perpetuate negative attitudes, stereotypes, judgments, and assumptions about different age groups.
- Elderspeak and infantilization reinforce the stereotype that older adults are incapable and incompetent. Using elderspeak with older adults can actually decrease their lifespans.
Ageism and Healthcare:
- Older adults may be less likely to receive potentially beneficial medical treatment or interventions than younger people.
- 1 in 5 adults report that they have experienced age discrimination in a healthcare setting.
Elder Abuse:
- Elder abuse takes many forms - neglect or abandonment, physical abuse (including inappropriate use of drugs or confinement), emotional abuse, sexual abuse, health care fraud, and financial exploitation.
- Five out of six cases of elder abuse go unreported.
What does ageism look like in Athens or Georgia?
- The Georgia Age Discrimination Act prohibits all private employers from discriminating on the basis of age.
- Georgia is one of the six states that has a stand-alone age discrimination law (separate from other employment discrimination laws).
- Georgia lawmakers just recently passed a law that will require tougher background checks for caretakers of older adults as well as a statewide elder abuse registry. However, the law will not go into effect until 2021.
