The Centre for Ageing Better has launched Age Without Limits, a hard-hitting new campaign highlighting the issue of ageism. The charity warns of the ‘scarring’ impact of ageism on us as we get older – on our health, job prospects and the way we live our lives with a knock-on effect on our society and the economy.
With new data from the charity revealing half of adults aged over 50 in England have experienced age discrimination in the last year, the campaign is set to change the way we all think about ageing, tackle prejudices and empower people to age with confidence.
For people in their 50s and 60s who experienced discrimination because of their age in the past 12 months, this happened most commonly in work (37%), followed by social media and television, movies or news reports (32%), and as a consumer (32%).
For people aged over 70, age discrimination was most keenly felt on social media, television, movies or news reports (44%), as a consumer (43%) and in health or social care settings (29%).
Other areas of life where both age groups experienced age discrimination include social situations (highlighted by 22% of people in their 50s and 60s) and public transport (mentioned by 23% of people aged over 70).
The data also reveals that:
- Only three in ten members of the public think treatment of older people is good
- Over half of people think older people are less visible than younger people in society
- People aged over 50 living in the NE are the most likely to report age discrimination with more than half (53%) feeling badly treated because of their age in the past year. The South East has the lowest reported levels at 39% of people aged over 50.
With at least a third of people holding ageist beliefs¹, and many likely not realising that they do, the campaign will be calling on the nation to change the way we think about ageing for the benefit of everyone.