Carrie Benn
Head of Fundraising and Communications, Age Action Ireland
The estimated population of Ireland in 2022 included more than 1 million people aged 60 or older, which means building an inclusive and age-positive society in Ireland is vital.
Despite positive progress for older people, there remain profound inequalities around ageing. Our bodies are all ageing, but many factors can influence how long and healthy our lives are, including education, income, diet, social participation and lifestyle.
Ageism limits healthy ageing
Most Irish people will be healthy and active well into their 70s and 80s. However, many of us face barriers and discrimination that can limit our ability to age healthily and independently. Age is one of the first things we notice about other people, yet most don’t realise the things they say or think are ageist.
Ageism arises when age is used to categorise people in ways that lead to disadvantage, and it erodes solidarity across generations. Like any kind of discrimination, ageism can happen in big, obvious ways and in smaller, day-to-day interactions.
Our research found that self-directed ageism
is particularly common among older persons.
Positive Ageing Week 2024
Positive Ageing Week is an Age Action initiative to promote the agency of older people and to celebrate the contribution they make to our families, workplaces, communities and society as a whole. For 20 years, individuals, groups, local authorities and businesses have been organising events to mark the week, which is held to mark the UN’s International Day for Older Persons.
From 30 September to 6 October, following the theme of ‘Challenging Ageism,’ activities take place around the country in every county to support ageing well and raise awareness of the issues that affect older people.
Some events that are happening around the country include the opening of Age Action’s brand-new community hub for older people in Galway on 1st October. This supports them with activities such as our ‘Getting Started’ digital skills training and the launch of Ireland’s first self-directed ageism toolkit on 2nd October.
Self-directed ageism
Ever caught yourself saying ‘Sure, I wouldn’t be able to do that at my age!’ or described yourself jokingly as ‘past it’? These are some examples of self-directed ageism at work. Self-directed ageism happens when people internalise ageism, which can lead to conforming to society’s expectations of older people and negatively affects their physical and mental health.
Our research found that self-directed ageism is particularly common among older persons. We developed a toolkit to challenge ageism and change how society thinks, acts and feels about ageing and older persons.
Find our toolkit and other resources at ageaction.ie
