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Fighting ageism

Geropsychologists are striving to stop negative age stereotypes and meet the growing mental health needs of older adults. By MELISSA DITTMANN Monitor Staff May 2003, Vol 34, No. 5 Print version: page 50 The number of Americans 60 and older is growing, but society still isn't embracing the aging population, geropsychologists say. Whether battling "old geezer" stereotypes or trying to obtain equal standing in the workplace, those who are 60 or older may all too often find themselves the victims of ageism. In fact, in a survey of 84 people ages 60 and older, nearly 80 percent of respondents reported experiencing ageism--such as other people assuming they had memory or physical impairments due to their age. The 2001 survey by Duke University's Erdman Palmore, PhD, also revealed that the most frequent type of ageism--reported by 58 percent of respondents--was being told a joke that pokes fun at older people. Thirty-one percent reported being ignored or not taken seriously because of their age. The study appeared in The Gerontologist (Vol. 41, No. 5). And what's worse, ageism also seeps into mental health care. Older patients are often viewed by health professionals as set in their ways and unable to change their behavior, aging experts say. Mental health problems--such as cognitive impairment or psychological disorders caused at least in part by complex pharmacological treatments--often go unrecognized and untreated in this growing demographic, many researchers believe. The deficit in treatment comes at a time when those over the age of 85 make up the fastestgrowing segment of the U.S. population. Nearly 35 million Americans are over 65 years old, according to the 2000 U.S. Census, and that number is expected to double by 2030 to 20 percent of the population. Those numbers come as no surprise to geropsychologists, who--as they mark Older Americans Month this May--continue working to get the word out about the need for better elder care. Their ultimate aim is to expand training and research opportunities in this area and eliminate ageism in all facets of society--from demeaning stereotypes portrayed in the media to the public's personal biases. The effects of ageism

Not only are negative stereotypes hurtful to older people, but they may even shorten their lives, finds psychologist Becca Levy, PhD, assistant professor of public health at Yale University. In Levy's longitudinal study of 660 people 50 years and older, those with more positive selfperceptions of aging lived 7.5 years longer than those with negative self-perceptions of aging. The study appeared in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (Vol. 83, No. 2). On the other hand, people's positive beliefs about and attitudes toward the elderly appear to boost their mental health. Levy has found that older adults exposed to positive stereotypes have significantly better memory and balance, whereas negative self-perceptions contributed to worse memory and feelings of worthlessness. "Age stereotypes are often internalized at a young age--long before they are even relevant to people," notes Levy, adding that even by the age of four, children are familiar with age stereotypes, which are reinforced over their lifetimes. Fueling the problem is the media's portrayal of older adults, Levy says. At a Senate hearing last fall, Levy testified before the Special Committee on Aging about the effects of age stereotypes. Doris Roberts, the Emmy-award winning actress in her seventies from the T.V. show "Everybody Loves Raymond," also testified at the hearing. "My peers and I are portrayed as dependent, helpless, unproductive and demanding rather than deserving," Roberts testified. "In reality, the majority of seniors are self-sufficient, middle-class consumers with more assets than most young people, and the time and talent to offer society." Indeed, the value that the media and society place on youth might explain the growing number of cosmetic surgeries among older adults, Levy notes. Whether this trend is positive or negative in combating ageism is one of many areas within geropsychology that needs greater research, she says. What can psychologists do? Psychologists need to respond to ageism the same way they do when a person is discriminated against because of race or a disability, says Jacqueline Goodchilds, PhD, a psychology professor at the University of California, Los Angeles. Goodchilds, on behalf of APA's Committee on Aging (CONA), drafted a resolution against ageism that was approved by APA's Council of Representatives in February 2002. The resolution says that APA is against ageism "in all its forms" and emphasizes APA's commitment to support efforts to eliminate it. "APA was against racism, sexism and all the other 'isms'--it made sense to be against ageism too," Goodchilds says of the resolution. Other APA groups are also working to combat ageism through funding, training and federal policies supporting geropsychologists. For example, one APA initiative--through the Graduate Psychology Education (GPE) program--recently received $3 million for geropsychology training

this year. The funding will be devoted exclusively to training geropsychologists in mental and behavioral-health services for older adults through APA-accredited programs. Increasing the number of doctoral-level trained geropsychologists as well as making age-related information more available to researchers, practitioners and students are top objectives for CONA. One of the group's recent efforts is to get more aging content incorporated into all levels of schools' curricula. "We need to raise the consciousness of the need for aging material," says CONA chair Forrest Scogin, PhD, a University of Alabama psychology professor. "There needs to be a greater awareness of who the older adults are--they are a diverse group. Ageism and stereotypes just don't work." The workplace also needs psychologists' attention, says Harvey Sterns, PhD, president of APA's Div. 20 (Adult Development and Aging) and director of The University of Akron's Institute for Life-Span Development and Gerontology. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has reported a more than 24 percent increase in the number of age-discrimination complaints filed this year compared with the previous two years. Employees over the age of 40 are often considered "old" and not offered the same training, promotion opportunities and pay as younger colleagues, Sterns says. Div. 20 is working to counteract such workplace and other age stereotypes by addressing the need for more trained geropsychologists and promoting age-friendly environments for the growth and development of older adults. "There is a long tradition within APA of dealing with these issues, but that doesn't mean they don't have to be revisited with intensity over and over again," Sterns says. "This doesn't go away." The key, Scogin notes, is educating psychologists and the general population alike about America's growing elderly population. "If we have people--from secondary education to continuing education, to professionals--with a greater awareness of aging as an important component, then that could have an impact on reducing ageism."

Age Discrimination in the Philippines and Its Effects on the Emotional Well-Being of the Aging Filipino
Mar14 by growingoldorjustaging Nobody grows old in the Philippines. Everyone is young. Old people are unheard of; they either die in silence or magically disappear. (Recabar 2010) Aging in the Philippines is getting to be more difficult as the years progress. Not only is it difficult to survive in a low economic country, but survival becomes almost impossible for aging Filipinos; when work is no longer accessible over a certain age. Age discrimination in the Philippines has become such a pressing issue that not only affects the countries work force but most importantly, the personal and emotional well being of the elderly. Ageism is to the basic denial of older peoples human rights. (Laskey 2008) Unlike racism or sexism; ageism is a form of discrimination that is usually brushed aside and is not taken too seriously however the effects on the well being of the elderly is not something to take too lightly. Age discrimination causes various emotional problems for the elderly such as a lower self esteem, and feelings of stress and anxiety. These emotional traumas also lead to the general acceptance of the stereotypes of the elderly which can add further emotional issues such as guilt, shame and helplessness. (Laskey 2008) In the Philippines, the labor code mandates workplace protections against discrimination based on race, sex or creed but age discrimination is not included in the law (Baldemor 2010) Employers are finding more ways to restrict jobs to specified age groups such as setting age qualifications. By setting these age qualifications employers can take advantage of younger workers by offering a lower pay rate and assuming that younger individuals are willing and capable of working longer and later shifts. Today, many want ads are still stating a preferred age range of 20-28 years old for entry-level positions and up to 44 years old for managerial levels (Baldemor 2010). With such a low age bracket to find work, many employers are lowering the required retirement age to as low as 50. It is becoming more difficult for those over the age of 50 to find work and with no laws to defend the elderly in the work force; many Filipinos are resorting to finding work outside of the country (Baldemor 2010). To avoid age discrimination, many Filipinos resort to desperate measures to find a job. Many Filipino workers have left home for more lucrative jobs in the Middle East and in other countries in Asia like Vietnam, and Japan; while others take jobs as sea men and are away from home for months living on a ship (Baldemor 2010). My uncle, who is 46 recently returned to the Philippines after having worked in Vietnam for about 6 months. He is a college graduate, who majored in accounting and can no longer find work in the Philippines. Ironically, his daughter who is 24, also an accounting major is working for twice the amount he originally made as an accountant in the Philippines. Seeing as he could not compete with the new generations of accountants, my uncle opted for working abroad. Leaving home and working in an entirely new

country is easy when you are in need of work. Age discrimination and age brackets in the Philippines has gotten to be so accepted and anticipated that many Filipinos are trying to find ways around the age limits. Forging birth certificates and other documents has become a means of becoming born again and allowing many to work, and be viewed up to 15 years younger than their actual age (Baldemor 2010). These desperate acts to find a means of survival and pay are so common in the Philippines that ageism is continuously disregarded. Even with any form of pension or retirement plan; most of the time it is almost impossible to live comfortably being retired, and so many Filipinos who are forced to retire must search to find another form of income. These added stressors that come along with retirement should not be a factor causing emotional trauma to Filipino elders but is very common in the Philippines. Age discrimination has become so much a part of the work force in the Philippines that age brackets, working abroad, and early retirement ages are no longer alarming. It is sad to think that once you are over the age of 50 in the Philippines, your worth in the work force is no longer important, but instead you become an easily replaceable member.

References Baldemor, A. (2010). Faded glory: age discrimination in the philippines. Retrieved from http://www.upiu.com/culture-society/2010/09/30/Faded-Glory-Age-discrimination-in-thePhilippines/UPIU-7171284555828/ laskey, J. (2008). Fight age discrimination, stay positive. Everyday Health, Retrieved from http://www.everydayhealth.com/longevity/emotional-wellness/fighting-age-discrimination.aspx Recabar, J. R. (2010, July 10 ). [Web log message]. Retrieved from https://johnryanrecabar.wordpress.com/tag/ageism-in-the-philippines

heres a Job Market That Knows No Age Limit. Online. Getting employed requires a lot of qualifications in terms of educational background, working experience, skills, age, gender (sometimes), and so on. These qualifications are essential in screening applicants, especially that employers would, of course, need people who would really fit the job. However, theres one qualification that creates a certain degree of discomfort in the job-hunting public: age restrictions. Some people prefer to call it age discrimination. There is a law prohibiting age discrimination in the Philippines. However, age discrimination in hiring still gets in the way of job-hunters in the form of age restrictions, such as those in job advertisements indicating that only those within a particular age range would be qualified. But could you really be too young or too old for a job? Of course, were not advocating child labor. There are prohibitions against the employment of minors in the Philippines. What were concerned about here are those who are qualified for the job, except that theyre way over the qualified age range. In the Philippines, there are jobs that bar out even applicants as young as 28 or 30 years old. Being denied a job opportunity because of age, to some people, could translate to being denied the chance to earn a living for their families. Such instances could dampen self-esteem, and could even give a misconception that theres an age limit to being fit for a job. There are things that you could do if you think that you are discriminated against, especially in terms of your age. But should you wait for the discrimination to eat you up? Of course not! Especially when there are jobs and money-making opportunities that certainly do not discriminate in terms of age, and other factors such as educational background, gender, and so on. Those jobs are done online, including the applications. Online jobs come in many varieties: paid to read email programs, online writing opportunities, data encoder jobs, and so on. You just have to your pick.

MANILA, Philippines, Sept. 14 -- MANILA, Philippines, Sept. 14 (UPI) -- Virgie Orea and her friend Evelyn Valino Baldemor worked for 40 years in a Philippine government agency before retiring after their 60th birthdays, five years before the mandatory retirement age. Its time to move on. We spent more than half of our lives there, Baldemor said. Less than a year later both women decided they couldn't afford retirement and needed jobs to supplement their meager pensions. But they found that older workers often aren't wanted and there are no protections against age discrimination in the Philippines. In the Philippines, the Labor Code (http://www.dole.gov.ph/labor_codes.php) mandates workplace protections against discrimination based on race, sex or creed but age discrimination isn't included in the law. The Prohibition Against Age Discrimination Act (http://www.senate.gov.ph/lis/bill_res.aspx?congress=14&q=SBN-394) was introduced three years ago in the Senate but the bill died in committee. A similar bill (http://www.senate.gov.ph/lis/bill_res.aspx?congress=15&q=SBN-1844) that was introduced this year awaits consideration by the Labor, Employment, and Human Resources Development Committee. Philippine Airlines (http://www.philippineairlines.com/news/news.jsp) flight attendants have been protesting a new mandatory retirement age of 40 years old for female flight attendants. The Flight Attendants' and Stewards' Association of the Philippines (http://www.fasap.net/index.html) announced Sept. 29 that negotiations had broken down and a strike was imminent because airline officials refused to set the retirement age at 60 years old, like that for the ground crew. Government officials announced this week that they will take over negotiations and ban a strike if an agreement can't be reached between the airline and union. Many want ads in the Philippines state a preferred age range for job applicants, usually 20 to 28 years old for entry-level positions and up to 44 years old for managerial levels. A human resources staff member for a Manila call center who requested anonymity said the company doesn't look immediately at the age of an applicant but it is common to assume younger individuals would be fit for the typically long hours and night shifts, he said. Many Filipino workers who have left home for more lucrative jobs in the Middle East have fared better but some still see their options dwindling as they get older. Pedring Munoz, 66, has worked for decades as a draftsman in Dubai but his job was reduced to part-time hours after the economic crisis hit in 2008. He says it is less likely now that his contract will be renewed and he believes he is virtually unemployable in the Philippines. He fears he will be resigned soon to working as his wife's assistant at the familys neighborhood variety store. Age discrimination in the Philippines has even spawned a cottage industry in forged birth certificates so older workers can appear young, or at least younger, again. One sailor who didn't want to be named was born in 1945 but his "new" birth certificate makes him 15 years younger. Since he exercises regularly and eats health food, he says he has convinced employers of his new

age. Forging birth certificates and other documents is so common among Filipino sailors that it is called being "born again." Bogus papers are made by forgers at shops in the heart of Manila and maritime officials are cracking down (http://www.ufs.ph/tinig/novdec06/11120621.html) on the practice through increased scrutiny of documents. Tags: ageism, age discrimination, philippines, manila, university of the philippines, labor code of the philippines, business process outsourcing, employment rights, employment malpractice, harassment

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