| While waiting in line at the post office, I stood behind a | | | | a van or bus, make active use of that van. Make sure |
| small elderly woman who was at the counter taking | | | | the van has the name of the facility painted brightly on |
| care of her postal needs. She had a very large purse | | | | the side so everyone sees you out and about. If your |
| with lots of zippers and a variety of smaller change | | | | community/town has an annual parade, with floats and |
| purses. She had many questions for the postal worker | | | | decorated trucks, think about entering your facility van. |
| and kept moving money and items in and out of her | | | | Think of the positive impact you will have with a group |
| purse, zipping and unzipping her purses. She was a little | | | | of smiling elders waving from a facility bus in the local |
| hard of hearing and had to ask the postal worker to | | | | Columbus Day or Independence Day Parade. |
| repeat her answers. The postal worker showed in her | | | | 5. Develop an active and contributing community role |
| tone of voice and actions that she had no patience for | | | | for your residents. Fundraising for local charities, |
| this older person. At one point, she looked over the | | | | participating in Senior Citizen day at the mall, adopting |
| head of this elderly woman - at me and the line behind | | | | the local animal shelter and visiting local schools are |
| me, rolling her eyes in exasperation. | | | | community oriented tasks which demonstrate the elder |
| If the person in front of me had been a person of | | | | is an active and viable member of the community. |
| different national origin or race or practiced a specific | | | | 6. Take advantage of community awareness days of |
| religion or had a physical disability - would this postal | | | | any kind. National Senior Fitness Day, National Nursing |
| worker have shown the same disrespect or | | | | Home Week, National Nurses Day, and National Good |
| impatience? Most likely not as she would fear being | | | | Neighbor Day to name a few, would be opportunities |
| accused of discrimination. It is unfortunate in our society | | | | for your residents to sponsor a community event and |
| that treating the elderly differently or discriminating | | | | invite community members into their home. This would |
| against them for their advanced years, is accepted | | | | show the community how life goes on within and |
| practice. Discrimination against the elderly is known as | | | | outside the walls of your facility. |
| ageism. The term ageism was coined by US | | | | 7. Initiate facility chapters of organizations for your |
| gerontologist Robert N. Butler in 1969. At that time, it | | | | residents to join, while inviting local community |
| was added to the list of specific discriminations of | | | | members to be a part of your chapter. The Red Hat |
| racism and sexism. Ageism includes treating the elderly | | | | Society, The Gray Panthers, the VFW, the local |
| in a negative way as well as perpetuating negative | | | | Garden Club and other groups can be initiated and |
| stereotypes of aging. In today's advertising, the elderly | | | | conducted at your facility. Integrating your elders with |
| are often characterized as grumpy, unkempt, | | | | members of the community breaks down the age |
| dependent, self absorbed, a little daffy and eccentric. | | | | barriers. |
| The activity professional and others who work in long | | | | 8. Re-define aging for yourself. No matter your |
| term care have a more humanistic perspective | | | | personal chronological age, your outlook has an impact |
| regarding aging and the lifestyles of the elderly. We | | | | on others. Purge yourself of any negative ageist |
| work tirelessly to provide individual opportunities to | | | | attitudes which may be lurking in the back of your |
| each person to live life to the fullest and in the manner | | | | mind. Be true to the rights of all individuals, regardless |
| they choose to live life, regardless of age. | | | | of age. |
| To begin changing society's negative perspective | | | | 9. Assume the role of a positive aging advocate. |
| toward aging and to promote positive images of aging, | | | | Whenever you encounter a negative attitude or action, |
| the activity professional can introduce the following | | | | don't be afraid to speak out in a positive and |
| tasks or actions: | | | | constructive way. |
| 1. Have the most amazing and dynamic activity | | | | Are you wondering what happened when I |
| program possible. A solid therapeutic activity program | | | | approached the counter at the Post Office, after the |
| which includes group, individual and 1-1 programs is the | | | | elderly woman finished her business? The postal |
| best antidote against the negative stereotype of the | | | | worker saw the anger in my eyes and mistakenly |
| elderly sitting in a rocking chair, watching life go by. | | | | thought I was equally annoyed with the older woman. |
| 2. Develop a viable and working Resident Council. | | | | She suggested the woman should stay at home and |
| Empowering your residents to have a voice and use | | | | get someone else to do her errands for her. I told the |
| their voice to speak out about life in the facility and the | | | | postal worker I couldn't disagree with her more and |
| community is essential in showing others that the elder | | | | we should all be so lucky as that woman - to be out |
| cares about others and not just about themselves. | | | | and about doing errands at her age. The postal worker |
| 3. Embrace person centered care and the culture | | | | retorted with a bit of a snort and stated she'd rather |
| transformation movement. The philosophies and | | | | be dead than a nuisance to others. My parting |
| principles of these models of care emphasize new | | | | comment to the postal worker was "be careful what |
| attitudes toward aging and what it means to get older. | | | | you wish for". As I left, I heard a few chuckles and at |
| These concepts stress the individual nature of each | | | | least one "bravo" from the line of people behind me. |
| person and living life to the fullest, as each person | | | | Age is opportunity no less,than youth itself, though in |
| would like to live life. | | | | another dress. |
| 4. Keep your residents engaged in life in the | | | | And as the evening twilight fades away, |
| community through trips and outings. If you facility has | | | | The sky is filled by the stars invisible by the day. |