Throughout the pandemic (and even before that) we’ve been tracking the ageist attitudes and impact that ageism can have on older adults. Whether it’s been questioning the provision of limited COVID treatments for older adults or the layoffs of older workers during the economic downturn (not to mention the often shameful care older adults have received in long term care settings), ageism seems to have reared its ugly head during this time, amplifying and even exacerbating the already difficult circumstances in which many seniors have found themselves. And yet, according to a recent article from Next Avenue, there may be some surprising and positive ways the pandemic may help to lift the burden of ageism that so many suffer.

Many ageist attitudes may in fact arise from what is known as “gerontophobia,” that is, the fear of age-related degeneration or a fear of getting older. Certainly, ageist stereotypes pervade our culture, and in fact, a recent study out of Georgia State University found that stereotypes (such as those projecting older adults to be uniformly physically or cognitively impaired) can affect the ability of older adults to perform certain tasks. In the study, researchers found that when older adults feel worried or concerned that they may confirm other people’s worst stereotypes of them (for example that they’re forgetful or poor drivers) this “stereotype threat” can actually produce poor outcomes as a result. So, as Georgia researcher Sarah Barber has made clear, “Older adults are often stereotyped as being slow, weak, feeble, and frail…We need to make people feel confident in their own abilities and feel that they will be respected no matter how they perform.” Further underscoring this concern, Dr. Sharon Inouye (previously mentioned in agebuzz regarding older adults being left out of clinical trials) has raised concern that ageist attitudes and stereotypes threaten older adults in health care settings as well, with clinicians often not taking the time to discern how diseases manifest differently in older adults or with explicit bias against older adults, leading to cut-offs of treatment options or non-access to certain types of care. 

But Dr. Inouye also sees a silver lining in the challenges that have arisen from the pandemic. She sees the opportunity to shift and restructure health care systems to be more open and accessible to older adults, just as experts such as Marc Freedman from Encore.org have seen that intergenerational and multigenerational activity during the pandemic has led to a “new empathy” that can combat ageism. One example? Multigenerational living is on the rise, underscoring the perceived value that older adults can have in both individual families and the broader society, with the resources, wisdom, and experiences they can bring to a situation.

So if society is shifting (a big “if”) to celebrate rather than denigrate older adults, we need positive displays of affection and support to go along with that. One small example now available? Aging advocates in Colorado are promoting positive greeting cards to celebrate birthdays for older adults. Instead of corny jokes about wrinkled skin or poor memories, the folks at Changing The Narrative Colorado have commissioned local artists to develop beautiful, uplifting cards to celebrate, rather than humiliate, those of us marking the occasion of our birthdays as we grow older. So put on a party hat, light the candles and buy a beautiful card here.