Ageism effects all of us – whether we are young, old, or somewhere in between. Ageism is a broad issue throughout the UK that exists in many different areas in society. In this webinar we will discuss this issue and the different areas of ageism that exist within our society including: Language – Tackling everyday ageist language used to talk about older and younger people. Cities – Making our cities more accessible and age-friendly. Services – Promote independence by making financial and technology services easier, safer and fairer to use.

1. LET’S GET RID OF AGEISM.
INTERGENERATIONAL WEEK
MARCH 2021

2. AGENDA.
Ageism Overview
Areas of Ageism (Game: Are you ageist?)
Ending Ageism
STOPageism Overview
Guest Speaker: Professor Malcolm Johnson

3. AGEISM
OVERVIEW.

5. PREJUDICE OR DISCRIMINATION ONTHE GROUNDS OFA
PERSON'S AGE.
AGEISM:

6. 1 IN 3
people in the UK report experiencing age
prejudice or discrimination
70.8% of UK workers say age discrimination is
common in their workplace; this rises to
85.3% among those aged 55-64
1 IN 3 people think the shift towards an older society
will make life worse, in terms of standards of
living, security, health, jobs and education
30% of people believe there is more prejudice
against older people than five years ago*
27% of peoplethinkin fiveyears therewillbe moreprejudiceagainst
peopleagedover70
81%
of teensfeeltheyareunfairly represented
in themedia
24%
of 18-34year olds think
“olderpeoplecan neverreallybe thoughtof as
attractive.”
1 IN 4
18-34year olds believe
“it is normaltobe unhappyand depressed
whenyou areold.”
<2%
of Membersof EuropeanParliament,as wellas
mostnationalparliamentsin Europe,areunder
theageof 30–farfrom representativeof the
generalpopulation.
INTERGENERATIONALACTIVITYHELPSENDAGEISM…
A2017reviewof 31intergenerationalcontact
programmesand 48studiesfound that
intergenerationalcontactsuccessfully reduces
ageism towardsolderadults
IS OUR SOCIETY AGEIST?
AGEISMIS GROWING…
BOTHOLDERANDYOUNGERPEOPLEEXPERIENCEAGEISM…
…NEEDLESSTO SAY,WENEEDTOMAKEACHANGE.
64%
of thepublic don’thaveasingle friend
whoare30ormoreyears olderor
youngerthanthem.

7. ARE YOU
AGEIST?

8. ARE YOU AGEIST?
Shorts
Good driver
Anti-age beauty products
Tiktok
Facebook
Instagram
Middle part
Brands of clothes
Good insurance
Uses all public funds
Fast paced
Ambitious
Physically fit
Chronic illness
Feeble
Bratty
Wise
Lonely
Isolated
Good employee
Hard worker
Tech savvy
Needy
Slow
Boring
YOUNG OLD
Selfish
NEITHER
Important to economy
SO…ARE YOU AGEIST?

9. Ageism in…
• Housing options
• Media
• Cities
• Insurance
• Financing
• Technology
• Jobrecruitment
• Internalised ageism
• Language
• Sexually active
• Fashion
• Social media
• Beauty products
AREAS OF
AGEISM.

10. ENDING
AGEISM.

11. FIND OUT MORE
ABOUT THE MOVEMENT:
STOPAGEISM.ORG
HOW TO END
AGEISM?
EDUCATE
• Research to expand our knowledge
• Keep the conversation going – Blogs,
events, debates, social media,
discrimination programmes in school
• Change the conversation from Old
= Bad
• Ageism affects people across the
life course
INTERGENERATIONAL
TIME
• Need to learn outside of the textbooks!
• Create environment where this happens
organically, as well as organised time
POLICY CHANGE
• Our government needs to be a part of
making a change

12. STOPagiesm
OVERVIEW.

13. Overview:
The STOPageism campaign highlights the hidden ageism found within society and calls for changes to be made that could greatly improve people’s lives. STOPageism is meant to
be a platform for a variety of organisations to work together to put an end to ageism within the UK.
Since launching in September 2020, 50+ partner organisations have joined STOPageism including Care England, Alzheimer's Research UK, Ashton Applewhite from Ted Talk and
Old School, CBRE and many others.
3 key target areas:
3. SERVICES
We want to promote safety and independence by making
financial and technology services easier, safer and fairer to
use (e.g. insurance, banking, investments, accessible
mobile aps). People need more confidence and support to
take control of their affairs.
2. CITIES
We want to make cities more accessible and age-friendly
inside and outside buildings. This should include
architecture/planning; education/workplaces; public
transit; use of supportive technology. The aim is to
promote both independence and inclusivity for all.
1. LANGUAGE
Some of the language we use to describe people is
negative and ageist. So, we’re campaigning to change
it. Why is it still acceptable to use outright
discriminatory terms for older or younger people in
society? Instead, we want to define people by who they
really are and the value they bring.
Powered by:

14. EVER-GROWING
PARTNERSHIPS.
…AND MORETOCOME.

15. PROFESSOR
MALCOLM
JOHNSON.

16. AGEISM IS A SOCIAL DISEASE.
AN HISTORIC, DEEPLY EMBEDDED PREJUDICE.
INTERGENERATIONAL ENGAGEMENT CHANGES ATTITUDES
Professor Malcolm Johnson

17. DR ROBERT BUTLER.
• In his lifetime, Robert N. Butler wore a lot of hats: physician,
gerontologist, Pulitzer Prize-winning author, founding director of the US
federal government's National Institute on Aging. But perhaps Butler's
biggest impact onthe livesof older Americans was his coining of
the term "ageism.” In 1969 he used it to describe prejudice,
discrimination and abuses committed againstolder people. Butler was
one of the first to perceive the denigration, mistreatment and systematic
exclusion of older people on a massive level, and to equate it with
discrimination and stereotyping because of race, ethnicity or gender.

18. INTERGENERATIONAL ENGAGEMENT.
• Has beena research and practical interest for 25 years
• Written, lectured, worked with practitioners, spoken at many conferences.
• Done television on andoff over the years –including Series about ageing and old age.
• BUT NOTHING HAS HAD THE IMPACT OFOLD PEOPLES HOME FOR 4 YEAR OLDS.
• Thefirst series was filmed at St Monica Trust Cote Lane Retirement Village in Bristol. It was so well received,Channel
4 requested a Christmas Special,.
• Channel4 commissioned a SecondSeries, set at Lark Hill Retirement Village in Nottingham. This time 5 onehour
programmes were broadcast in Octoberand Novemberto similar acclaim.

19. “Theold and youngvolunteersshared daily activities
designed by theexperts who measured and analysed the
older groups’ physical and mental progress throughout.
At the end of the six week experiment the experts were
able to demonstrate that bringing these two generations
– divided by almost a lifetime – together, can transform
the physical, social and emotional wellbeing of the old
volunteersfor the better.
Old People’s home for 4YearOlds was a warm, life
affirming look at how theUKcare homesystem could
berevolutionised.”
©ChannelFour2017& 2019

20. THE
EXPERTS.
Malcolm Johnson
DrZoeWyrko Consultant
Geriatrician, United Birmingham Hospitals
DrMelrose Stewart Lecturer in
Physiotherapy, University ofBirmingham,

21. Final measurementsrevealed significantimprovements in themajorityof metrics,with80%percent ofresidentsshowed improvementin
the “TimedUpandGo”.Grip strengthswereup generally,andactivitytrackerscoresshowedthatthe residentshadbecomeincreasingly
activeover a 24-hourperiod.
On sportsday,one womanwhocouldnotrecall the lasttime she ran,wasseen sprintingoffwithher companionfour-year-oldin orderto
beatthe competition.
Atthe startofthe experiment,nearlyall ofthe residentswere identifiedasdepressed,twoofthem severely. Aftersixweeks,noneofthem
wasregistered as depressed.
Theyhadcompletely changedtheir outlookon life andin theirhopeforthe future.Even the mostsceptical personwithinthe group,who
hadbeen heardtosay“I can’treallysee itmaking anygreatdifferencetous”,admittedthatthe children hadbrought“greatjoy”.
THE EXPERIMENT.

22. DIDTHE TWO SERIES OF PROGRAMMES HAVE ANY IMPACT?
DIDTHEY RESULT IN OTHERS DOING THEIR OWN PROJECTS?
• Weall received manye-mails,requeststowriteandspeak
• I received e-mailsevery dayfor9 months– andstill do.
• Some simplysaidhow muchtheyhadenjoyed theprogrammes.
• Manysaidtheywantedtoset uptheir owninitiatives.AndwouldI help them.
• Researchersandpolicy makers,expressedinterest.
• Requestsfortelevision andradiointerviews
• Thereisnowanationalmovement ofintergenerationalactivities

23. • RuthLangsford
• Pat
• Dot(& herMum)
• Malcolm
• EamonnHolmes
• On ITV“ThisMorning”
programme

24. Intergenerationalcareisthe practiceofbringing theyoungandelderlytogether
byintroducingnurseriesandcarehomestooneanother.Thisnew style ofcareis
revolutionising carehomesworldwideandparticipantsswearbythe practice.
Weare going toinvestigate thehistory behind intergenerational careand
talktosomeofthe peoplebehind this new trend.
How care homes and nurseriesare coming together
for good
26thApril2018

25. AGES APART?
TIES AND DIVIDES ACROSS
THE GENERATIONS
All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG)
on Social Integration.
Chat Back - Creating intergenerational relationships

27. BUT AGEISM IS ALIVE AND WELL TODAY.
Guild LIVING TOWNCENTRERETIREMENTCOMMUNITY PLANSREJECTED
• Published on the council’s website, the recommendation for refusal states that older people will
“undermine the viability and the vitality of the town centre”. Charities, academics and local
people areappalled at Epsom & Ewell council’s statement and havestressed that the
recommendation for refusal based on this could breachthe Equality Act.
• October 2020
IT'S TIME TO STOP.
STOPDISCRIMINATION.
STOPSTEREOTYPES.
STOPNEGATIVITY.
STOPAGEISM.

28. FIND OUT MORE
ABOUT THE MOVEMENT:
STOPAGEISM.ORG
WHAT WILL YOU TO DO
STOP AGEISM?
IT’S GOING TO TAKE TIME AND EFFORT
FROM ALL OF US.

29. 2021
THANK YOU.