At AAG, our vision is a world where every person is valued, heard, seen and respected as we age. This includes embracing diversity and respect in all that we do, especially with regard to how we refer to, and communicate with, older people.
Robert Butler, a psychiatrist, coined the term "ageism" in 1969, defining it as systematic stereotyping and discrimination against people simply because they are old. Butler likened ageism to other forms of bigotry, such as racism and sexism.
Ageist language can invoke and perpetuate harmful stereotypes of older people with negative impacts on policy, societal attitudes, employment and other opportunities, as well as the mental health and wellbeing of older adults.[1] As far back as 1995, the United Nations identified the term “older person” to be preferable to “elderly”, “seniors” or “the aged,”[2] yet these ageist identifiers still persist today.
This terminology, advocates argue, can contribute to damaging stereotypes, and in some cases negatively impact the employment prospects of older people who may be perfectly able, and eager, to carry on working, or volunteering. As such, they urge us to move towards more inclusive terminology. Dan Holden of the International Longevity Centre summarised:
“Elderly is problematic because of its association with dependency and frailty, which typecasts whole generations. Although it is natural that we refer to people in groups by their age, chronological age is a poor guide to understand any given person; their health, their personality and their experience. It’s not perfect, but a more neutral term like “older people” is more neutral and goes some way to addressing the stereotyping of this age group”.
AAG cautions against non-inclusive language in our commitment to providing a harassment-free and inclusive environment. We strongly believe it’s important to pay attention to harmful language patterns, not only ageist, but also ableist. Words like "crazy", "dumb", "insane" or "lame" are examples of ableist language which further devalues people with physical or cognitive disability. Ableist language often stems from an innate sense of what it means to be “normal.” Harmful stereotypes and negative descriptors can be avoided by first seeing and acknowledging the humanity of the older person.
Person-first language that places the older person or cohort of older people before any descriptor will ensure that the “personhood” (the quality of being an individual human with rights)[3] of the individual or group is upheld, such as ‘older adults with dementia’ or ‘older person experiencing loneliness.’ Bowman and Lim (2021) go further and suggest that even the use of the word ‘dementia’ as a descriptor can have ageist connotations, recommending the incorporation of alternative language, such as “people experiencing cognitive changes” or a person experiencing confusion and memory loss.[4]
To celebrate Ageism Awareness Day in 2024, AAG hosted the webinar “End Ageism in Advertising.” Featuring Robert Tickner AO, Jane Caro AM, Robert Fitzgerald AM and Ashton Applewhite, the webinar takes a deep dive into how older adults are depicted (or omitted) in advertising and its powerful effect on how society sees and behaves towards them.
The National Ageing Research Institute (NARI), an AAG Collaborative Research Centre, promotes the use of ‘age positive’ language[5] and has developed an Aged-Positive Language Guide – a good place to start for any researcher or practitioner engaging with older adults.
However, the best way to avoid ageist or ableist language is to ask research participants, service users, or even our older family members and friends, how they would like to be referred to or described. This will ensure that individual preferences, needs and any additional cultural considerations are identified early and not likely to cause issues or discomfort for the older person later on. Respectful communication is key to building both rapport and trust. It will also add credibility to your research, practice and personal relationships as it clearly shows that you value, hear, see and respect the older person.
[1] Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging, 28 February 2022, https://publichealth.wustl.edu/age-inclusive-language-are-you-using-it-in-your-writing-and-everyday-speech/
[2] Murphy, E., Fallon, A., Dukelow, T. et al. Don’t call me elderly: a review of medical journals’ use of ageist literature. Eur Geriatr Med 13, 1007–1009 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41999-022-00650-4
[3] https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/personhood
[4] Bowman, C., & Lim, W. M. (2021). How to Avoid Ageist Language in Aging Research? An Overview and Guidelines. Activities, Adaptation & Aging, 45(4), 269–275. https://doi.org/10.1080/01924788.2021.1992712
[5] https://www.nari.net.au/age-positive-language-guide