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Chief advocate of National Seniors Australia , Ian Henschke . Photo : James Elsby
Pandemic prejudice
Survey finds COVID-19 is fuelling ageism in Australia .
By Eleanor Campbell
As Australia ’ s largest cities continue to grapple with the spread of the Delta virus , experts are drawing attention towards a growing outbreak of aged-based stereotypes , prejudice and discrimination .
In a recent survey released by SBS , 51 per cent of people agreed that ageism is currently rife in Australia .
According to sociologist Dr Peta Cook , lockdown-related discourses and policies are fostering negative attitudes towards older people .
“ One thing that was seen right from the start of discussions around COVID-19 was the use of rather negative language to talk about older populations ,’’ she said .
“ So the term ‘ elderly ’, for example , was used a lot and elderly is a term that connotes frailty and also dependency , but of course most people who are aged 65 years and older are living independently in our community .
“ When there ’ s discussions around lockdowns about just protecting older people , that ’ s not true , and that ’ s misleading , and that helps to also instigate a lot of negative feelings in our community towards older people .”
Global researchers have identified a clear link between ageism and COVID-19 , which is related to poorer health , higher risks of violence and abuse , and increased social isolation .
Ageism in the workplace is also a persistent issue .
New data from Australia ’ s largest employment provider found those aged between 55 and 64 were the largest
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There is actually a cost for … talking about old people as being ‘ the selfish boomers ’.
unemployed group receiving JobKeeper payments during the pandemic .
According to Cook , the government ’ s jobmaker scheme incentivising businesses to hire people aged from 16 to 35 is pushing older people out of the workforce .
“ You ’ re marginalising a group of workers and potentially also marginalising a wealth of expertise and a wealth of experience that could actually be really vital to COVID-19 recovery ,” she said .
Experts have warned against the consequences of prolonged isolation of aged care residents , particularly those who live with co-morbidities and conditions such as dementia .
This has led to more tightened restrictions in residential facilities , where outdoor recreation and visitors remain banned while efforts to ramp up vaccinations for staff and residents continue .
“ It ’ s understandable to want to try and protect the health and wellbeing of people living within aged care facilities ,” said Cook .
“ The problem is that extended lockdown , particularly when they ’ re more stringent or extended than the lockdowns for the general population , is that you ’ re further marginalising a group of people that are already quite marginalised in our society .
“ There ’ s many problems that come with this , of course . There ’ s loneliness , there ’ s social isolation and that has significant impacts and consequences on people ’ s health and their wellbeing .”
Public discussions of the pandemic worldwide have laid bare prejudices towards people of older age .
The virus was coined “ the boomer remover ” by younger groups in the US , and media outlets have portrayed older people as a threat to public safety .
According to Dr Cook , the wave of ageism during COVID-19 has not only affected people of older age .
“ There ’ s also been some reports around blaming all the lockdowns on older people and saying that we ’ re risking our economy just so that we can preserve older people ,” said Dr Cook .
“ It somehow suggests that they ’ re less worthy than other population groups , but at the same time , we have seen the commentary around younger people who were seen to be a threat through their behaviours .”
“ So , when we start engaging in an intergenerational blame game , we ’ re actually ignoring structural issues that exist in our society , which create divisions .”
Ageism , which affects anyone regardless of race , gender or sexuality , is the next ‘ ism ’ to be tackled , according to former journalist and chief advocate of National Seniors Australia , Ian Henschke .
“ It ’ s not uncommon to see headlines saying the ‘ Ageing tsunami ’, ‘ the grey tsunami ’, the ‘ Economic time bomb caused by older Australians ’,” said Henschke .
“ If you talk about any group as being a burden , it affects their attitude and health in society .
“ There is actually a cost for this sort of media , talking about old people as being ‘ the selfish boomers ’.”
Despite negative press coverage , COVID-19 has also allowed opportunities for increased awareness around the effects of ageism .
Earlier this year , National Seniors Australia launched an ‘ Every Age Counts ’ campaign to amplify the need for widespread attitudinal changes .
“ Speaking out about it is the next step ,” said Henschke .
“ No one is fair game because of their age , sex or colour for disrespect . We as a nation hold certain self-evident truths and that is that you should treat people with respect .” ■
2 agedcareinsite . com . au