Our age beliefs matter. Research has found people who have positive beliefs about ageing live longer, happier, healthier lives. This was just one of the takeaways from Juniper and the Australian Human Rights Commission’s workshops ‘What’s Age Got to Do With It?’’ held across Perth last week.
Workshops conducted at Juniper Central in Balcatta, Juniper Elimatta Retirement Living Village in Menora, Juniper Rowethorpe in Bentley and Juniper Hayloft Residential Aged Care in Martin, attracted a diverse crowd including Juniper customers and staff, students, and a wide cross section of the community including customer service officers from the City of Perth and Men’s Shed WA.
Presenter Dr Emily Steel’s interactive presentations encouraged participants to discuss their own experiences of ageism, reflect on evidence about ageing and think about ways each of us could be doing things differently.
“Those with positive beliefs about ageing live seven-and-a-half years longer,” Dr Steel said.
Dr Steel shared video campaigns designed to challenge prejudices we hold and limitations we place on ourselves and others at almost any age.
In one global campaign to combat ageism, a short video focused on adults from a variety of ages and cultural backgrounds, in a powerful demonstration of the harmful impact of ageism at any age.
“When the focus is on my age, life gets a little bit harder,” one person said.
And another: “It makes me feel powerless.”
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