Longitudinal Study Of Age Discrimination Essay

New research from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) reveals 33 per cent of all older people experience apparent age discrimination, with less wealthy older men being at highest risk. The study highlights the high levels of age discrimination faced by older people, a situation that worsens as they age. 26.6 per cent of people aged between 52 and 59 reported age discrimination, a figure which rose to 37.2 per cent for adults aged between 70 and 79. 20.7 per cent of men over the age of 52 felt that they were accorded less courtesy because of their age, in comparison to 15.2 per cent of women. ten per cent of men and nine per cent of women over the age of 52 felt that they had received poorer service or treatment from doctors or hospitals than younger people because of their age.
Present government policies and procedures contain several objectives and programs to increase participation of the
elderly for effective integration and community cohesion. Firstly, the government is targeting to improving recruitment and retention of an ageing workforce, which includes empowering people to stay in work in their 50s and early 60s. State Pension age can help support the financial, health and social well-being of individuals into later lifRaising State Pension age, initially to 66 by 2020 and 67 by 2028, will help maintain a supportable balance between the quantities of workers and retired people. Secondly, the government is helping older people get online by making sure that older people are not left behind and are able to benefit fully from the increased independence that comes with digital capability. The government is also refining local services for older people, helping older people most at risk of longer-term loneliness and social seclusion to remain active, supporting councils to provide a better quality of life for older people through local services and also helping older people celebrate ‘older peoples day’, on the 1st of October yearly. (Gov.uk)
Even though the government policies and practices for involving older people seem to be of a numerous number and are seen to be taking place, the questions still arises, that are the present plans and engagement tools enough to confidently help elderly people mix within society and create worthy relationships with other members of the community? Providing older people with opportunities to interact and engage may just not be enough, as it is vital to increase their confidence levels and help them on a one to one basis, in order for them to engage productively.
Our senior population is the most remarkable, self-sacrificing and inspired part of our complete community. They are almost the last people who belong to political parties, the last who maintain our churches, the most big-hearted and devoted supporters of all our charities. They are our last fragile link to deeper history. They are also people who can find themselves in extremes of poverty (fuel poverty, in particular), of isolation, of loneliness and of hopelessness in the wait for death, unimaginable to anyone younger. We are not respecting them and, as a society, we are not making use of their extraordinary talents.
For instance if we look at hearing aids, we have gone through a transformation in wireless, microphone and battery technology in the last 20 years (look at your smart phone).
But most people who are hard of hearing find that their hearing aids struggle to cut out ambient noise. They are isolated, their families are irritated, they are disadvantaged of one of the most significant parts of any human relationship – the capability to have a discussion. This is the crucial issue that elderly people miss out on, and this key feature plays a vast part in the integration of elderly people.
During a voluntary placement with elderly people at the Daneshouse Community room in Burnley, countless barriers within the elderly community came to light. The elderly women attending the community room were fronting a number of concerns including exclusion in society, lack of education and facilities, language barriers and discrimination within the local community. These issues were clear barriers in helping the women to integrate within society and build positive
relationships.
An interdisciplinary study on the relationship between social capital, health and gender, funded by the Health Development Agency took place which featured a qualitatively based case study examination of a socially underprivileged community in the North West of England, involving interviews with 77 community members. Of these, 39 men took part, including 18 older men (aged between 56 and 79 years old). For these older men, masculinities were often built around their health, family and employment status. The worsening of their health status and loss of partners and employment (through ill health or retirement) necessitated a re-negotiation of more marginalized masculinities within the setting of community failure. Crime and drug taking were common features of community life. Consequently, the men felt that they were vulnerable and undervalued members of this community and were reluctant to become involved in community groups and activities. It is evident from both forms of research that elderly men and women are struggling to gain acceptance in society and feel ‘left out’ and excluded in various sectors. This is extremely worrying for us a community as the elderly are an important part of our past, present and future.