What is Ageism? Workplace Consumer products Health service

Robert Butler first coined the term ageism in the 1960's. He defined it as a process of stereotyping and discrimination against people just because they were old, just as racism and sexism accomplish this for skin colour and gender.

Ageism has a number of dimensions: job discrimination, loss of status, stereotyping and dehumanisation. Ageism is about assuming all older people are the same, despite their different life histories, needs and expectations. Ageism not only affects the lives of older people, but, like ageing itself it affects everyone from birth onwards, putting limits and constraints on experiences, expectations, relationships and opportunities.

Ageism is important because it affects workers and carers at a personal level. Contact with older people may be avoided because it is viewed as unrewarding or it reminds younger people of their own ageing. This is partly because younger people have no direct experience of old age and therefore have to rely on social stereotypes, which may be quite negative (think of the many negative images of older people we see on TV and in film). These negative images may create perceptions of a future old age as a time of dependency, poor health, poverty and vulnerability, even though this may bear little relationship to the lived experience of many older people.

Ageism exists. Have you seen the signs?

Older people should have equal rights, yet ageism still exists in many walks of life. Have you been marginalised by health and social services, or excluded from employment and education on the basis of your age?

What is Ageism?

Credit? Ageism is not obvious. Sometimes you may not be aware it’s happening. But it may result in you having different treatment at your local GP’s surgery or your local hospital. It may affect you when applying for holiday or car insurance. It may even stop you getting a job.

Ageism has a dramatic, detrimental effect on older people but this is often not acknowledged. Age Concern is highlighting this as a major issue that needs to be addressed in order to ensure the fair treatment of older people.

Some of these situations may be familiar to you:

Being refused interest-free credit, a new credit card or car insurance because of your age.
Finding that an organisation’s attitude to older people results in you receiving a lower quality of service.
Age limits on benefits such as Disability Living Allowance.
A doctor deciding not to refer you to a consultant because you are ‘too old’.
Losing your job because of your age.
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Why is Ageism unacceptable?

Ageism is not obvious. You may not be aware it's happening, but it may result in you receiving different treatment.

Past It You currently have no legal rights against ageism.

But at Age Concern we’re determined to highlight its effects and campaign against it.

Ageism - often referred to as age discrimination - exists in many areas of life and not only causes personal hardship and injustice but also harms the economy.

Age Concern is campaigning to end ageism in all walks of life. We believe that older people should have equal rights to participate and enjoy all the benefits of a modern society.

The information provided here should explain what ageism is and what you can do if you experience it, plus what Age Concern is doing to tackle ageism and how you can help us.

It’s not going to be possible to solve the problems of ageism overnight. We need your help to succeed. Please help us find out more about older people’s experiences.

Help us fight Ageism

There are many ways that you can help us fight Ageism.

Tell us about your experiences
Fill in our online survey and help us fight Ageism

Talk to an advisor
If you need advice call our Information Line and speak to one of our advisors: 0800 00 99 66 - 365 Days a Year - 7 Days a Week - 7am to 7pm

Stay up-to-date
Sign-up to receive our latest campaign material or receive occasional campaign emails: 020 8765 7502 - campaigns@ace.org.uk

Invite a speaker
Invite a speaker to visit your local group or trade union and talk about our work. Please contact our Campaigns and Parliamentary Unit for more details on 020 8765 7502

Contact your MP
Help us actively campaign by writing to your MP. You should state your views and experiences and ask them to raise your concerns with the relevant Minister. If you prefer, your MP can be faxed for free via www.faxyourmp.co.uk

Ageism in the health service and social care

Health and social care services have made some progress in tackling age discrimination, but older people still report feeling that they have had second class treatment and care simply because of their age.

For example, your doctor may not refer you to a consultant because of your date of birth, or inappropriate comments may be made about your age while you are in hospital. You might even be pushed into a care home you don’t want or be refused specific social services because of your age.

If you feel that you have been treated badly in health and social
Second Class? care on the basis of your age, here are some actions you can take:

If you’re unhappy with the services or the attitude of staff you come in contact with, you should complain. You can often resolve such issues by discussing them with the doctor, nurse or the practice manager. If you don’t feel able to raise an issue personally, contact your local Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS). The staff there will also be able to advise you on how to make a formal complaint about NHS services and can give you details about the Independent Complaints and Advocacy Service (ICAS). Your local NHS Trust and the national advice service NHS Direct will be able to put you in contact with your PALS.
Although there is an upper age limit of 70 on invitations to breast cancer screening, you are still entitled to request a screening every three years beyond that age. Contact your local breast screening unit via NHS Direct.
If you feel that you or your relative are being railroaded into choosing a particular care home rather than being offered choice - particularly when moving out of hospital - be aware of your rights. Under the ‘Choice of Accommodation’ Directive you have the right to choose a care home. There are alternatives, such as help at home or moving into sheltered housing. If you are unhappy about the care that is being offered following discharge from hospital, you should request a review. The NHS cannot discharge you until the review is completed.
If you think you need help from social services, don’t be brushed off. Take up your right to an assessment which will identify any help you, or your carer, may need. If you’re not happy with the outcome of the assessment, you can complain through the Local Authority complaints procedure. If you are still unhappy, you can complain to the Local Government Ombudsman.
Be aware that if the Local Authority decides you need services, you may be entitled to the option of a cash payment (also called a direct payment) instead so that you can purchase your own care.
Local Authorities can levy a charge for services, so if you have continuing health needs after leaving hospital check whether you are eligible for continuing NHS funding. You may not have to pay for your care. There are national rules which the Local Authority must follow when calculating your contribution towards care home costs.
You can get involved in health services locally through your local Patient Forum - they often work closely with local services and are always on the lookout for older people to get involved. Contact your local Age Concern through our Information Line for more details.
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Ageism in consumer products and services

Credit? Maybe you’ve received a leaflet that is offensive or perhaps you’ve had motor or travel insurance refused because of your age or had access to a new credit card or other services limited.

If you feel that you have been treated badly as a customer on the basis of your age, here are some actions you can take:

Use the company’s official complaints procedure. The complaints procedure will often give you the name of the Customer Services Manager but always try to speak, or write, to the most senior person who deals with complaints. You can remind them that the over 50s spend £260 billion per year, control 70% of the nation’s wealth and 60% of its savings (Henley Centre, April 2003).
Take your business elsewhere, and tell your friends to do the same. Then write to the company telling them that ageism is the reason they’ve lost your business.
Contact a consumer champion and tell them about your experiences. Many local and national newspapers have consumer pages as well as readers’ editors. You can also contact a consumer TV programme eg, BBC’s Watchdog.
Complain to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) about nonbroadcast advertisements, sales promotions and direct marketing. You may want to complain if you’ve seen a press advertisement, promotion, leaflet or poster that you think is ageist and you want it changed or withdrawn. The ASA can stop misleading or offensive advertising and ensure sales
promotions are run fairly.
Complain about television or radio advertising through the regulator - OFCOM (Office of Communications).
Be wary of sharp selling practices. Think carefully before you invite a salesperson into your home. If you believe that you have been wrongly sold a product or service, you may be able to complain to the Trading Standards Department of your Local Authority. Check in your phone book for your local Trading Standards Office, or call your Local Authority.
Many trade bodies have codes of practice which may be helpful ie, the Direct Marketing Association, the Institute of Sales Promotion and the Timeshare Council. Official complaints can usually be made to these bodies.
If you feel pressured by unsolicited direct mail you can contact the Mailing Preference Service. They’ll be able to stop most unsolicited mail-shots. Similarly, if you want to reduce the number of sales calls you receive contact the Telephone Preference Service.

Tackling Ageism Locally

Local Age Concerns are taking action against ageism in a variety of ways, here are just a few examples:

A Borough Council was not employing people over the age of 70 for jobs such as school crossing patrols. The local Age Concern encouraged the Mayor to write to the newspapers highlighting the irony that it was okay for him to be over 70 but not someone on a school crossing patrol.
A local hospital had cut the number of available digital hearing aids. The local Age Concern pressed the Chief Executive for assurances that decisions on who received the hearing aids would be made purely on the basis of clinical need, not age.
Other Age Concern’s distribute leaflets about breast cancer screening for older people. These leaflets explain that screening is still available on request even if you are over 70.
Having run training for older people in computing skills, one Age Concern discovered that the participants were being turned away from a local computer store on the basis of their age. Young staff at the store assumed that because of the customer’s age they would not be able to deal with the ‘complexities’ of buying a computer. Age Concern complained to the company’s national headquarters.
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Ageism in the workplace

Discriminated against when job hunting? First in line for redundancy? Many over 50’s feel they’re not treated fairly in employment

1.8 million people between the ages of 55 and 64 have suffered ageism in employment (Age Concern / ICM poll, Dec 2001). It might be that you aren’t offered the same training as others, that you lose your job or are not employed for a position you are perfectly able and willing to do - simply because of your age.

There is new legislation due to come into force in late 2006 against age discrimination in employment and adult learning. However, here are some actions you can take now if you’ve experienced ageism:

Draw your employer’s attention to the Code of Practice for Age Diversity in Employment which explains the benefits of including older people in the workforce. This code aims to reduce ageism in employment and covers areas such as recruitment, promotion and retirement. Copies can be obtained from the Department for Work and Pensions initiative, Age Positive.
If you feel you are getting less training and development than other staff because of your age then let your employer know that younger staff only stay for 2 years on average after receiving training.
Contact your local Jobcentre Plus. This service can provide more information and advice to anyone receiving benefit. If you are receiving Pension Credit, Incapacity Benefit or a range of other benefits you can also take up the full range of help offered by Jobcentre Plus and the Government’s New Deal programme.
The Third Age Employment Network can guide you to various specialist employment agencies for older workers. You can also request a copy of the Age Concern England fact sheet for older workers from our Information Line.

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What is Ageism?

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