Discussion of the structural challenges posed by the ageing baby boomers is rarely out of the news. Phrases such as ‘the pensions burden’ or ‘the care burden’ have become media clichés, while alarmist narratives regarding the cost implications of our ageing society are regularly employed by politicians to justify unpopular policies such as increases to the state pension age. The challenges posed by population ageing are very real, but the potential social impact of the language with which they are discussed is very real too.

Coming of Age, launched this week, looks at ageing policy from older people’s point of view. The research found that the very negative narratives about our ageing society that conceptualise ageing and older people as a problem are contributing to many older people feeling demoralised and disengaged from politics and the policy-making process. As one woman commented,

“I am sick of the habitual representation of my group – passive, dependent, vulnerable, scroungers, a financial burden, demented, a drain on the public purse, isolated, vulnerable, an escalating problem etc.”

Most of our research participants felt these discriminatory attitudes to be pervasive in society. Our study found ageism to be a greater concern than crime among older people. Whereas ageism was discussed vigorously in every one of our research groups, crime did not receive a single mention.

Age discrimination was felt to impact on every area of older people’s lives; in employment, in public services, in public places and even in family life. In particular, numerous anecdotes described experiences of age discrimination in the NHS, with one woman commenting on the standard of care in hospitals: “I really fear for people who have no one to speak on their behalf.”

With the age balance in our society shifting – by 2034, 23 per cent of the population will be aged 65 or over – these patronising and dismissive attitudes towards older people are unsustainable and present a major challenge to social policy going forward. Research has shown that older people who accept negative stereotypes about ageing are more likely to experience health problems, more likely to assume that health problems are age-related, and less likely to seek healthcare.

However, contrary to these negative social attitudes, many of the older people who took part in our research actually felt very positive about their own experience of ageing, which they felt had brought with it greater confidence and self-acceptance. Retirement was looked on as an opportunity for new projects, greater leisure and learning opportunities, spending time with family and making social contributions through volunteering. While our research participants compared retirement favourably with the stresses of working life, they did not see it as a time for winding down but as an opportunity for getting involved in a broader range of activities.

Perhaps most importantly, increases in health and life expectancies have brought with them a shift in attitudes towards ageing, so that most people who are in their 60s and 70s now do not see themselves as old. Most of the baby boomers who are retiring now still have decades of healthy and active life ahead of them. Therefore, rather than fixating on the structural problems presented by population ageing, policymakers need to focus on the opportunities presented by this formidable cohort of healthy and ‘young’ pre- and post- retirees. A more flexible labour market, pro-active health policies, inclusive services and communities and appealing volunteering opportunities could ensure that this generation continues to contribute more value to society than it receives for many years to come. Coming of Age looks at how this positive vision for an ageing society could become a reality.

New Comment