In my opinion, one of the main issues of stigma against senior adults is the widespread lack of knowledge of the wider general population about old age itself. This issue of ageism is being continually perpetuated by mainstream society by constantly splitting society up into different age groups and not targeting society as one large harmonious group where all persons, regardless of their age, are still human beings who deserve the same respect, dignity and care. This continuous segregation of senior adults into a separate group leads to a widespread misconception that senior adults are past their prime time and in terms of the provision of healthcare they are even perceived as a burden. I believe that one of the first steps which we need to take to tackle these concerns would be to create more educational opportunities for different generations to interact with each other. An increased awareness about the needs of senior adults within the wider population will generate debate on both a national and international level which in turn may make policy makers more interested in providing and investing in services aimed towards the senior adult. These may include the introduction of educational visits in school curricula for schoolchildren to visit senior adults in their community. There may also be the organisation of voluntary work experiences for young persons and senior adults to interact and experience first-hand the needs of senior adults whilst also improving intergenerational dialogue in their communities or in different countries.
I thank you for your time.
Yours sincerely,
Francesca Farrugia
