Dismantling Ageism Learning Session
Ageism is still a tolerated form of social prejudice that affects everyone and impacts everything, yet it largely goes unrecognized and unchallenged. This free, interactive session explores ageism and its impact on individuals, organizations, and communities. It includes activities for individuals to reflect on their own aging, their overall views about older people, and how to help organizations role-model a welcoming, safe, and respectful environment for all ages.
Blogs & Videos
Our monthly blogs and videos are created to disrupt negative beliefs about aging. Read and watch to inspire your own aging journey. We encourage businesses and groups to include these resources in your employee and member communications. Simply email us at cbollinger@yccf.org and let us know what you’re sharing! Please give credit to YCCF’s Embracing Aging for all content used.
A series of short videos featuring older adults sharing ways they defy aging stereotypes and embrace growing older.
A series of short articles focused on different perspectives about aging
Better Serve Your Employees, Members, and Clients to Create Age-Equity
Between our connections with the Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities, national organizations serving older adults, Grantmakers in Aging, and our experiences in leading Embracing Aging since its launch in 2013, we have access to research, best practices, and innovative ideas to:
- The appropriate framing and terminology to use when talking about aging
- Audit and assess your building, space, policies, culture, communications, and processes
- Strategies for making age-equitable decisions and culture
Call Cathy Bollinger, Managing Director of Embracing Aging at 717.848.3733 or email at cbollinger@yccf.org to learn more.
Cathy is available to speak on a variety of topics. Click here to learn more.
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Reframe the Stigma of Aging: Why does this matter?
We all want to live long and joyful lives. Yet most of us don’t want to think about aging and are dismayed at signs of aging in ourselves and those we love. So, we rarely admit that we like anything related to aging.
Throughout our lives, beginning as early as when we are three-years-old, we observe people and society projecting negative, fear-provoking, and false messages about aging. We experience this in conversations we have with others. We see it in TV, movies, social media, and the news. It impacts laws, policies, practices, and culture. It is even showing up in our built environment through designs of buildings and shared spaces.
By the time we approach our older decades, we have accumulated many negative impressions of aging in our subconscious thinking. When we believe these messages, we are at risk of losing the ability to do the very things we have always done. These misconceptions weaken our motivation to do things to help us have the best aging experience possible.
Why does improving attitudes on aging matter?
7.5 more years
That’s the number of years, on average, we add to our life when we have positive beliefs about aging.
In addition,
• Our community and workplaces gain a wealth of knowledge, wisdom, and energy from being inclusive of the needs and wants of all ages.
• We create more opportunities for living a vibrant life as we each get older – including better housing options, more effective healthcare, and a stronger sense of belonging.
• People of all ages share, learn, and work together to create a community that says we care about you, we respect you, we want you here, no matter your age.
