|
These stereotypes can prevent older men and women from fully participating in social， political， economic， cultural， spiritual， civic and other activities. Younger people may also influence these decisions in the attitudes they convey to older people， or even by building barriers to their participation.
We can escape this vicious cycle by breaking down stereotypes and change our attitudes about older people. Here are a few examples.
Stereotype 1： Older people are "past their sell-by date"
While older workers are often presumed to be less productive than younger workers and studies show slight declines in information processing and attention with age， most individuals maintain mental competence and learning abilities well into older age. They also have the advantage of possessing experience and institutional memory. Deterioration in physical abilities may be much less than presumed. On 16 October 2011， British national Fauja Singh became the first 100 year-old to complete a marathon by running the Toronto Waterfront Marathon in Canada.
Stereotype 2： Older people are helpless
The fact that older people are particularly vulnerable in emergencies does not mean that older people in general are helpless. After the 2007 Cyclone Sidr in Bangladesh， older people’s committees took an active role， disseminating early warning messages to people and families most at risk， identifying those who were worst hit， compiling beneficiary lists and notifying them when and where to receive relief goods. After the 2011 earthquake and Tsunami in Japan， older people and retirees came forward to volunteer at the nuclear disaster sites， saying they were not afraid of becoming contaminated with radiation. Advanced in years， they were less worried about the long term impacts of the exposure.
Stereotype 3： Older people will eventually become senile
Occasional memory lapses are common at any age. And although the risk of developing dementia symptoms rises steeply with age in people over 60， possible signs of dementia （a loss of intellectual abilities）， such as uncertainty about how to perform simple tasks， difficulty in completing sentences and confusion about the month or season， are not normal signs of ageing. Most older people are able to manage their financial affairs and their day-to-day lives. They can give informed consent for treatment or medical interventions they may need. In fact， some types of our memory stay the same or even continue to improve with age， as for example our semantic memory， which is the ability to recall concepts and general facts that are not related to specific experiences.
Stereotype 4： Older women have less value than younger women
People often equate women’s worth with beauty， youth and the ability to have children. The role older women play in their families and communities， caring for their partners， parents， children and grandchildren is often overlooked. In most countries， women tend to be the family caregivers. Many take care of more than one generation. These women are often themselves at advanced ages. For example， in sub-Saharan Africa， 20% of rural women aged 60 and older are the main carers for their grandchildren.
Stereotype 5： Older people don't deserve health care
Treatable conditions and illnesses in older people are often overlooked or dismissed as being a "normal part of ageing". Age does not necessarily cause pain， and only extreme old age is associated with limitation of bodily function. The right to the best possible health does not diminish as we age： It is mainly society that sets age limits for access to complex treatments or proper rehabilitation and secondary prevention of disease and disability.
It is not age that limits the health and participation of older people. Rather， it is individual and societal misconceptions， discrimination and abuse that prevent active and dignified ageing.
Ⅲ. Your World Health Day campaign
General approach
WHO promotes a healthy lifestyle across the life-course to save lives， protect health and alleviate disability and pain in older age. Age-friendly environments and early detection of disease as well as prevention and care improve the wellbeing of older people. Population ageing will hamper the achievement of socioeconomic and human development goals if action is not taken today. With this year's World Health Day campaign， WHO wants to go beyond awareness-raising to elicit concrete action and positive change. The World Health Day campaign aims to engage all of society - from policy makers and politicians to older people and youth - to：
take action to create societies which appreciate and acknowledge older people as valued resources and enable them to participate fully； and to
help protect and improve health as we age.
The day can be used to highlight how this change can be brought about， giving examples of how older people contribute to their families and their communities in different parts of the world. You can set up your own World Health Day 2012 campaign， using the WHO key messages and materials.
A. Target audiences
Policy-makers in governments and international organizations
City and municipality leaders
Health-care providers
Civil society groups
Researchers
Private sector entities
Older people， their caregivers， service providers and families
Community leaders
Youth and youth groups
General public
B. Key messages
Older people are a valuable resource for their societies and should feel valued.
Good health throughout life helps us make the most of the positive aspects of ageing.
Societies who take care of their older populations， and support their active participation in daily life， will be better prepared to cope with the changing world.
C. Calls to action
Good health in older age can be achieved by：
Promoting health across the life-course.
Creating age-friendly environments that foster the health and participation of older people.
Providing access to basic primary health care， long-term care and palliative care.
Acknowledging the value of older people and help them participate fully in family and community life.
D. Expected results
Greater appreciation that good health across the life-course contributes to a happy and productive older age
People become aware of ageist stereotypes and support older people in being active， resourceful and respected members of society.
|
